By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
It may seem like forever since Dowagiac played host to Three Rivers in the second week of the 2006 football season.
The Chieftains handed the Wildcats a 25-0 Wolverine Conference loss.
Little did anyone know that Three Rivers would not lose again in 2006 and would share the conference championship.
Three Rivers (8-1) played without several suspended players, two of which were starters.
The Wildcats are hoping that those players will make a difference on Friday night when they host the Chieftains in the opening round of the Division 4 playoffs.
"One of their players (Zach Jones), who plays fullback and linebacker, could have an impact on the game," Dowagiac coach Mike Stanger said. "He's a pretty good player. On offense we have to get a body on him because he has some quickness. On defense, we have to account for him."
Dowagiac will come into Friday night's game with a chip on its shoulder.
"We are playing for something too," Stanger said. "In my eyes they are the conference champions. They are ranked fourth in the state. They have beaten us three out of the last four times we have played them in the playoffs. They have won seven games in a row and are playing with a lot of confidence. But we want to prove that we are the best team in the conference. So we are playing with a chip on our shoulder."
The Chieftains (7-2) are in the playoffs for the second straight season.
Last year Dowagiac started 17 underclassmen in the contest. This year the Chieftains are experienced and hope to use that experience to its advantage.
"Most everyone on this team played in that game last year," Stanger said. "Last year was an eye opener for us. This year that nervousness shouldn't be there as much."
Dowagiac rolled up some big numbers in its victory over the Wildcats back in August.
The Chieftains ran for 352 yards and averaged more than seven yards per carry.
Junior Jamie Simpson led the Chieftains with 132 yards on 15 carries, while senior Jake Shelton finished with 89 yards on 14 carries.
Dowagiac will try to run the ball against Three Rivers again Friday night, but knows it will have to throw the ball too.
The Chieftains have run for nearly 2,700 yards this season and are averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
Simpson leads the Chieftains with 1,003 yards and is averaging 11.3 yards per touch. The junior speedster also has a team-high 14 rushing touchdowns and one receiving.
Senior quarterback Nick File has thrown for 432 yards this season and seven touchdowns. Senior tight end Chris Primley is his favorite target. Primley has 14 receptions for 232 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively senior linebackers Kyle Bailey and Tim Bartee lead the Chieftains.
Bailey has 80 tackles, including 50 solo stops. Bailey also has a fumble recovery, an interception, two blocked extra point attempts and a blocked field goal.
Bartee has 74 tackles and a team-high 51 solo tackles. He has two sacks, two interceptions and two blocked extra points.
File leads the defensive secondary with a school record nine interceptions. File tied the school record with three picks on Friday night in the regular season finale. He also holds the career record for interceptions with 18.
Tim Dyer leads Three Rivers' ground game with 1,111 yards and 13 touchdowns. Quarterback Alan McEnroe has thrown for 860 yards. His favorite target is Tyler Kiewiet, who has 25 receptions for 390 yards.
Dowagiac Varsity Football
Statistical Leaders
Regular Season
Rushing – Yards
Jamie Simpson 1,003
Jake Shelton 676
Mike Laylin 472
Tim Bartee 153
Kyle Prak 116
Rushing – Average
Mike Laylin 12.1
Jamie Simpson 11.3
David Sayre 10.9
DeShaun Baylock 7.8
Jake Shelton 6.8
Touchdowns
Jamie Simpson 14
Jake Shelton 9
Mike Laylin 5
DeShaun Baylock 3
Chris Primley 3
Passing -Attempts
Nick File 69
Passing – Completions
Nick File 26
Passing – Yards
Nick File 432
Receiving – Receptions
Chris Primley 14
Jamie Simpson 5
Mike Laylin 3
Troy Stover 2
Receiving – Yards
Chris Primley 232
Jamie Simpson 100
Troy Stover 51
Punting – Average
Jake Cox 29.1
Extra Points – Attempts
Tony Black 29
Kyle Prak 12
Extra Points – Made
Tony Black 22
Kyle Prak 10
Field Goals – Attempts
Tony Black 5
Field Goals – Made
Tony Black 3 (Longest – 27 yards)
Kickoff Returns – Average
Jamie Simpson 40.7
Tim Bartee 25.8
Punt Returns – Average
David Sayre 12.0
Jamie Simpson 6.0
Tackles – Solo
Tim Bartee 51
Kyle Bailey 50
DeShaun Baylock 40
Mike Laylin 29
Chris Primley 25
Tackles – Total
Kyle Bailey 80
Tim Bartee 74
DeShaun Baylock 64
Chris Primley 57
Mike Laylin 49
Interceptions
Nick File 9 (New School Record)
Tim Bartee 2
Fumble Recoveries
Eight tied with 1
Sacks
Chris Primley 4
Jake Shelton 2.5
Matt Dodson 2.5