Two of the top quarterbacks in the Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League will be featured when the Galena Bulldogs travel to face the Frontenac Raiders.
Galena is led by senior quarterback P.J. Sarwinski, while Frontenac’s offense will be directed by senior quarterback Brandon Mlekus. Both quarterbacks are in their third season as starters.
“They are two of the better dual-threat quarterbacks,” Frontenac coach Mark Smith said. “They’re both great athletes. They’re both great leaders.”
After the Bulldogs (1-0, 1-0 CNC) fell behind 13-0 last week to the St. Mary’s Colgan Panthers, Sarwinski guided Galena to 26 consecutive points during a 26-20 victory. Sarwinski ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns.
“He just did a great job of managing the clock and managing the kids in the huddle,” said Galena coach Beau Sarwinski, who is P.J.’s dad. “He recognized things that we could capitalize on. It’s like having a coach on the field. He’s been a part of this program since he was in kindergarten. He knows what Galena football is all about.”
Galena, which is listed among the others considered in the Class 3A rankings, rushed for 296 yards as a team. Junior Michael Helton led the way with 123 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Frontenac, which is ranked No. 4 in Class 4A Division II, opened the season with a 40-12 victory over the Girard Trojans. Mlekus completed 11 of 14 passes for 141 yards and rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
Mlekus, who compiled 2,627 yards of total offense in 2015, helped the Raiders (1-0, 1-0 CNC) score on their first three possessions of the season.
Smith praised his versatility.
“He keeps the defense on their toes,” Smith said. “He makes it easy for me to call plays. We can do a lot of things with him at quarterback.”
Cadin Bolinger also rushed for 85 yards and three touchdowns.
The Raiders, who were the preseason favorite to win the CNC, were also impressive on defense as they forced Girard into three-and-outs on the Trojans’ first five offensive possessions.
“Our defense played very well,” Smith said. “We’re very experienced on defense.”
But Smith knows his defense will face a challenge from the Bulldogs.
“They want to run the ball,” Smith said. “But he’ll throw it if they need to. He has good receivers, and they love bootleg passes. If they’re successful running the ball, it will make easier for them to throw. We have to try and control them on first and second down.”
Galena is looking to beat Frontenac after falling by slim margins in each of the past two seasons. The Raiders topped the Bulldogs 19-14 last year and 30-26 in 2014.
“We know this is a big game,” Sarwinski said. “Big games like this prepare us for what we want to do later in the season. We want to get ready for districts, make the state playoffs and hopefully go on a nice run.”
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