It’s difficult to downplay the significance of tonight's game between cross-state teams Sumner Academy and Northeast. So we won’t. Stateline bragging rights are on the line in Friday’s DiPasquale Moore PrepsKC Metro Matchup between the visiting Vikings and host Sabres.
And it’s homecoming at Sumner, which adds extra weight to the contest.
Northeast is a Missouri Class 3 team. The Vikings are defending Interscholastic League co-champions and are currently tied with Southeast for first place in the IL. Head coach Roger Franks’ team is 2-3 overall and 2-0 in the league with wins over Kansas City Central and East. Last year, the Vikings split a share of the league crown with Lincoln College Prep. In 2020, the team was 0-8. The Vikings are markedly improved but injuries could play a factor against Sumner.
“We lost a couple of kids due to injury in the win against East,” Franks said. “We are young with only four seniors. We have a good game plan in place for Sumner, we just hope our inexperience doesn’t become the reason we don’t take care of business (against Sumner).”
Sumner, a Kansas Class 5 team, plays in the tough Meadowlark League. The Sabres are 3-2 overall and 3-2 in league play. Sumner has knocked off Washington, Wyandotte County and Schlagle and sport a two-game winning streak heading into Friday’s game.
“Winning two games in a row, I think our kids want to keep the momentum going forward,” Sumner head coach Andrew Wright said. “Looking forward to the challenge of playing Northeast. They look athletic on film. It's also our homecoming and so the kids have been excited all week.”
Sumner can’t afford to underestimate Northeast, Wright said.
“My hope is that we stay focused on tonight and just play one play at a time and try to win our individual battles,” he said. “It’s been a motivated group as they want to have a winning season. We haven't had one here for a long time and I think they approach each game as another opportunity to hopefully get a win.”
To Wright’s credit, he did downplay the cross-league matchup between Meadowlark and IL teams. The Sabres prefer a one-game-at-a-time approach, he said.
“I can't speak for our other schools in our district, but I look at it as just the next game on the schedule,” Wright said. “I have tunnel vision in that aspect. I try not to look ahead or behind, just focus on this week's opponent and try to have our team prepared.”
