The Rochester Community and Technical College football team has already clinched a playoff berth in the MCAC state tournament. Now the Yellowjackets can wrap up a division title with a win at Ridgewater on Saturday.
RCTC, 6-0 and ranked 10th in the nation among junior college teams, needs just one victory in its final two regular-season games to secure a Southern Division title. That would assure RCTC two home games in eight-team state tournament.
"That gives us incentive. It would put us in position to clinch it (a division title)," RCTC coach Bill Quistorff said. "That would give us home-field advantage in the playoffs."
RCTC also has plenty of other incentive to beat Ridgewater. Ridgewater, a Southern Division foe, enters the game 5-1 and is ranked 15th in the nation.
"The guys are really hungry to play them," Quistorff said. "They're a nationally ranked team, 15th in the country.
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"They've played us well in the past," he added, "They're going to be a tough team and they're well coached."
RCTC jumped three spots in the poll to 10th after last week's lopsided win over Fergus Falls. The Yellowjackets appear to have jelled both offensive and defensively. The have the top ranked unit in the state both offense and defense.
"I think we're clicking on both sides of the ball," Quistorff said. "They seem to be feeding off each other."
Quistorff said the Yellowjackets have to brace for a Ridgewater team that has a strong defensive line. Ridgewater is the No. 3 team in the state in defense in terms of yards allowed per game and it has allowed a state-low 69 points.
Ridgewater also has an elite receiver in Kevin Parks (21 catches, 21.0 average), who is also a strong kick returner.
"We're going to have to go out there and play like a team, like we did in this game," defensive back Christian Foster said following last week's win over Fergus Falls.
RCTC appears to have the ability to counter Ridgewater's strengths. The Yellowjackets have a balanced offense averaging just under 500 yards a game. And the defense has a strong front seven as well as a ball-hawking secondary.
"Our defense is really clicking this year," said Foster, who was named the Southern Division Special Teams Player of the Week for having a 70-yard punt return for a TD and a 43-yard kickoff return against Fergus Falls.
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"This is the kind of game that is won by the team that makes the fewest mistakes," Quistorff said. "We have to show good discipline."
One area Quistorff insists "needs to be cleaned up" is penalties. The Yellowjackets have been penalized well over 100 yards in each of the past two games.
MCAC
SOUTHERN DIVISION
#Division#Overall
#W#L#W#L#Pts
RCTC#2#0#6#0#8
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Central Lakes#2#1#5#1#7
Ridgewater#1#1#5#1#6
Minnesota West#1#1#4#2#5
Fergus Falls#0#3#1#5#1
NORTHERN DIVISION
Northland#2#0#4#2#6
Vermilion#2#1#3#3#5
Fond du Lac#1#1#1#5#2
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Mesabi Range#1#1#1#5#2
Itasca#0#3#0#6#0
Note: Two points are awarded for a division win and one point is awarded for a non-division win.
OCT. 3 GAME
Mesabi Range 31, Itasca 22
OCT. 5 GAMES
RCTC 91, Fergus Falls 7
Central Lakes 50, Minnesota West 39
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Northland 41, Vermilion 12
Ridgewater 15, Fond du Lac 12
OCT. 10 GAMES
Fond du Lace at Mesabi Range, 7 p.m.
Itasca at Northland, 7 p.m.
OCT. 12 GAMES
Central Lakes at Vermilion, 1:30 p.m.
RCTC at Ridgewater, 1:30 p.m.
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Minnesota West at Fergus Falls, 2:30 p.m.
