(Audubon) Audubon is hungry for a return trip to the dome. The Wheelers begin postseason play by hosting Stanton/Essex on Friday in a game we’ll bring you on KSOM.
Two years ago Audubon was the state runner-up. Last year they held a lead in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champ St. Mary’s, Remsen. Coach Sean Birks says 6-2 Stanton/Essex looks to be well coached and does a variety of things. “They are well prepared and well coached. There is no doubt in my mind they are a playoff team. We are respecting these guys. They are really, really good. They have the Johnson kid that runs the offense really well. Their running back does a really good job of running hard and getting down hill. A couple of seniors with the quarterback, running back, and even the fullback that are decent looking athletes. They have a lot of variations and sets. They do a lot of different things and are pretty balanced.”
Audubon comes in at 7-1 overall with their only loss being to 2nd ranked CAM. “The kids are happy, but we’ve moved on and everybody is 0-0. We aren’t going to pat ourselves on the back and get caught doing that.”
Audubon’s Gavin Smith is one of the state’s premier talents. He has 701 passing yards and 1,432 rushing yards. His rushing yardage and his 31 rushing TD’s are each 3rd most in 8-Player and his 43 offensive scores rank 4th in the state. “He’s talented, he’s physical, he’s all those things you’d want. He’s experienced and doesn’t get too high low. He’s respected by his teammates. He’s got command of that huddle. He watches a ton of film. He checks off all the boxes. Gavin is a big part of what we are and he’s a big part of the good team climate and team culture. The kids get along really well and respect one another. That comes from Gavin and the rest of the seniors.”
Smith’s career numbers include 2,811 passing yards with 48 TD’s and 3,031 rushing yards with 71 TD’s. He also has 138 career tackles with 12 interceptions including one pick six. He has the 4th most touchdowns scored in 8-Player history behind Clayton Plowman (Adair-Casey 2010-13), Tyler Tonderum (Armstrong-Ringsted 2006-09), and Alex Whigham (Stanton 2006-09).
Audubon’s senior class is 4-2 in their careers in the postseason.
Audubon coach Sean Birks:
