WORTHINGTON -High school football coaches Troy Bouman and Brad Grimmius channeled their best Bill Belichick Wednesday.
The starting quarterbacks for Pipestone Area’s Bouman and Worthington’s Grimmius are semi-officially listed as “questionable” for Friday’s Southwest Conference game at Pipestone. And neither coach -just like the famously tight-lipped coach of the New England Patriots - wants to say very much about it.
Whether the Arrows’ signal caller Boyer Bouman (the coach’s son) or the Trojans’ offensive leader Will Dudley perform could largely determine which team wins the game. The two squads appear fairly evenly matched, with Pipestone Area sporting a 3-4 overall record (2-3 in the conference) and Worthington coming in at 2-4 and 2-2.
Bouman was injured in the first half last week in Pipestone Area’s 21-6 loss to Redwood Valley. A week earlier, he threw three touchdown passes in a 22-21 upset of arch-rival Luverne, which brought the traveling Battle Axe to Pipestone for the first time since 2002.
Coach Bouman doesn’t want to publicly divulge details on Boyer’s injury, but by calling his return “questionable” he says he believes his quarterback’s availability leans slightly toward playing.
But you’ll have to wait until Friday to know for sure whether Bouman -a dual threat for the Arrows’ offense - will line up behind center.
“He’s done a good job of running the ball when we needed him to. He’s thrown the ball well, too,” said his dad/coach.
On the other side, Dudley continues to nurse what Grimmius calls a “nagging” shoulder injury, which has kept him sidelined during practice week. A second starter, senior back Brandon Gray, is being bothered by a stinger.
Whether or not the Trojans can play Friday at full strength, Grimmius remains concerned about their team consistency. Last week, in a wet and lightning-pocked game, WHS was easily controlled by Southwest Conference rival Marshall, 33-7. A week earlier, they were trounced on homecoming night by non-conference opponent Annandale, 41-0. But before that, they played a good second half to beat Redwood Valley 14-6. And they thoroughly controlled Windom Area 42-14.
Worthington will face a Pipestone Area team that uses multiple formations and many different looks on offense. The Arrows aren’t afraid to throw the football, and they like to attack on defense. Grimmius says his team will want to establish a running attack while attempting to open up the Arrows’ midsection.
Consistency is the key word.
“We’re not consistent right now. The good teams, that’s why they’re good - they’re consistent,” Grimmius said during Wednesday afternoon’s practice.
