Preview: Mount Healthy at Northwest

There are loose ends to tie up and unfinished business that needs to be tended to as the regular season finale of the US Marines Battle of the Gridiron Series heads to Pippin Road and Northwest High School. The home team Knights are on the playoff bubble in Division III, Region 10 and would like nothing better than to knock off visiting Mount Healthy and solidify their position for a post-season berth.

Mount Healthy comes into this affair having won 20 consecutive SWOC games. They have won all three of the SWOC’s titles since it formed in 2012. Like Northwest, the Owls are fighting for their playoff lives in Region 10. This is going to be an emotionally charged affair with seniors on both sides wanting badly to keep their careers going.

MOUNT HEALTHY OWLS (6-3, 5-0) at NORTHWEST KNIGHTS (6-3, 3-2)
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. at Knights Stadium
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PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mount Healthy quarterback David Montgomery just continues to get better and better and that is saying something with his stellar career. He went over the 2,000-yard rushing mark for the season and 6,000-yard mark for his career last week with personal bests of 373 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He has found the end zone 33 times and at scored at least three touchdowns in seven consecutive games this fall. Defensive lineman Montez Davis leads Mount Healthy with 10.5 sacks. Five of those takedowns came two weeks ago versus Harrison.

Brandon Shelton has really turned the corner for Northwest. The junior quarterback has thrown for 1,357 yards with 18 touchdowns and no interceptions. Running back Devonte Faulkner has to provide help in the running game. Faulkner ran for 90 yards or more six times in the first seven games. He has just 96 combined rushing yards the past two weeks.

TEAM TRENDS: By Saturday, losses by eight, one and two points could leave Mount Healthy wondering what could have been had they closed at least one of those contests out. The Owls have picked up quality wins over Edgewood, Harrison and Division I Sycamore one more over Northwest should get them into the tournament.

This season Mount Healthy has only come up with eight takeaways with one interception return for a score. In the previous six years under head coach Arvie Crouch the Owls’ defense has come up with 199 total takeaways (89 fumble recoveries & 110 interceptions) an average of 33.3/year. The Owls have returned 23 of those turnovers for touchdowns. The special teams also returned eight kickoffs and punts for scores during that same period.

Northwest has lost a pair of three-point heart breakers in SWOC play. Their other defeat came at the hands of Division II No. 1 La Salle. The Knights have not beaten a team with a winning record.

MOUNT HEALTHY’ KEYS TO VICTORY: The defense has to keep this one from being a high scoring affair. The Owls have seen good football teams move the ball and put points on the board against them. The offense will do their job scoring points. It will be up to the Mount Healthy defense to keep the Knights out of the end zone.

NORTHWEST’S KEYS TO VICTORY: Stopping David Montgomery is the top priority. In two games the Owls star has averaged 202 yards with five rushing touchdowns versus Northwest. Making someone other than Montgomery beat them is the focus of the Knights defense. Senior secondary members Harvey Berry, Lloyd Wichter and Myron Brown have to come and be “sure tacklers.” Their chance to make big plays will be near the line of scrimmage.

Prediction: Mount Healthy 35, Northwest 24

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