By TYLER HENRY
JC Post contributor
After a winless 2021 campaign things are turning around in Herington, and under first-year head coach Boyd Peterson, the Railers battled through a gauntlet with a young team to finish the regular season at 3-5.
As a reward for their efforts, the Railers will travel to South Sumner on Thursday to take on the third-ranked undefeated Outlaws for a ticket to the round of 16.
“I think the program is heading in the right direction,” Peterson said. “It takes time to develop consistency and this year was definitely the first step. Getting the non-Seniors to realize that this is just one part of the whole process is key and we will strive to improve on this season in the future.”
Before looking to take that next step, Herington will play the role of the underdog in this year’s 8-Man DI playoffs, as the Railers stare down one of the best teams in the state on the road.
“South Sumner is a solid team on film,” he said. “They control the ball, run it well, and are assignment-sound defensively. They have some great athletes that will make plays on both sides of the ball and we have to do our best to keep it out of their playmaker's hands as much as possible.”
While the Outlaws enter this matchup as favorites, the Railers will not be without positive momentum on Thursday, still reveling in a 54-48 overtime win against Solomon that allowed them to punch their ticket to this very tournament.
“That game was one of the coolest moments in my short time in Herington so far,” Peterson said. “I'm happy our guys buckled down and were able to pull out that win. My hope is that we can use that as a springboard going into the playoffs and next season.”
One critical key for the Railers on Thursday will be in keeping a potent South Sumner offense off the field for as much time as possible, leaning into their strengths as a run-first offense.
“We need to control the clock, run the ball, be assignment-sure defensively, and make sure the first guy to the ball brings the runner down,” he said. “I think at the end of the day if we can do that, we have a chance to advance.”
While it’s true that Herington faces long odds in this matchup, this Railers team has already exceeded expectations and achieved things that many before them have failed to do.
“The mentality I've been trying to preach all week is "why not us," Peterson said. “Our goal was to make the playoffs and make some noise and we achieved the first part of that. The next part starts on Thursday, it's going to take focus and teamwork to pull it off but I know we are looking forward to that opportunity.”
Kickoff between the Railers and Outlaws is set for 7 pm on Thursday in South Haven with the winner advancing to take on 7-1 Chase County or 4-4 Sedan in the round of 16 next week.