Your Prep Sports Week 1 Game of the Week: West High at Liberty High
West High (0-0) at Liberty High (0-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Liberty Stadium
Football is here and it begins with a bang.
The 2024 season kicks off in the Your Prep Sports area on Friday with a rivalry rematch at Liberty High.
Liberty High hosts cross-town rival West High after the Trojans earned a 35-28 win over Lightning in the season-opener last season.
West High is now 2-0 in the all-time series with Liberty High after winning the first meeting between the two teams 27-0 at Liberty High in 2020.
Both teams finished 4-5 last season and narrowly missed a spot in the Class 5A playoffs.
Liberty High finished 17th and West High was 19th in the 5A Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).
The top 16 teams in the RPI advance to the postseason.
If West High or Liberty High is to return to the postseason this season a strong start is pivotal making Friday’s rivalry game even more intriguing.
Players to Watch
West High
Jack Wallace
Having a returning starter at quarterback is a big advantage in high school football especially early in the season.
West High doesn’t just have a returning quarterback they have a four-year starter and one of the best in the state in Minnesota State commit Jack Wallace.
Wallace (6-2, 225) will be making his 28th consecutive start on Friday and ended last season with the best game of his career passing for a West High single-game record 458 yards and three touchdowns.
In a home win over Liberty High last season Wallace was sharp out of the gate, completing 13-of-20 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns.
Wallace should be sharp early in the season again and his steady play under center could be the difference as Liberty High breaks in a new starter at quarterback.
Liberty High
Sutton Koller
While West High has a veteran quarterback the Lightning will have a player making their first career start under center.
The best thing for an inexperienced is to lean on the running game and the Lightning have a back capable of handling that heavy load in senior Sutton Koller.
Koller (5-11, 180) was among the most productive backs in the state last season accounting for 1,146 yards of total offense and 15 touchdowns in a breakthrough junior season.
Koller was quiet by his high stands against the Trojans last season rushing for 35 yards and a touchdown on nine carries and adding five receptions for 30 yards.
Look for Liberty to get the ball in Koller’s hands often and in a variety of different ways on Friday.
Keys to the Game
West High
Spread the wealth.
Senior quarterback Jack Wallace made a point to praise the depth of the skill position groups at West High during camp this fall.
Wallace noted that in past seasons the Trojans had standouts at receiver or running back but not the depth of talent they possess this fall.
The job for Wallace is to distribute the ball to those playmakers.
West High should have the ability to spread the ball around between running back Butali Butali receivers Mason Woods and Julian Manson and tight end Nick Caylor.
If the Wallace-led West High offense is clicking on all cylinders it is tough to slow down.
Liberty High
Get through the first quarter.
Liberty High will have a new quarterback, they replace virtually the entire defense and most of its offensive line.
The Lightning can compete but they must avoid an initial onslaught from a West High team that has a big experience advantage.
Liberty High needs to play great defense and try to shorten the game early while limiting big plays and mistakes in the opening quarter.
If the Lightning can get to halftime in a good spot they should only get better as the game goes one.
Both Teams
Run the ball.
West High didn’t run the ball well last season against Liberty High but thanks to three touchdown plays of 51 yards or longer found a way to come out with a win.
If the Trojans can’t improve on the 22 rushing yards it had on 28 carries against the Lightning last season it could be tough to move the ball.
With Wallace, Woods and Manson West High doesn’t need to be a run-first team but the Trojans do need to run the ball well enough on Friday and throughout the season to keep the defense honest and Butali has shown the ability to break a big play.
Conversely, Liberty High will look to lean on the run game as it replaces the top passer in program history in departed senior Graham Beckman.
The Lightning have a special duo in the backfield in seniors Sutton Koller and Owen Drapeaux (6-1, 210) who combined for 847 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.
Koller and Drapeaux have different styles and can both be effective on the field together.
If Liberty High can get its run game going it will be a huge step in starting the season with win.
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