Devils eye key game with Wolverines

The Noxon Red Devil football team is in control of its own destiny.

If coach Bart Haflich and the 4-2 Devils are to make the playoffs – and they are right in the thick of the race to do just that – they will almost certainly need to knock off the 6-1 West Yellowstone Wolverines in Noxon Friday night to reach that goal.

The Devils' two losses this season are to other teams involved in the frantic Western C 6-Man race, to White Sulphur Springs and Hot Springs, both in Noxon back in September, while West Yellowstone's only loss to date was a road defeat to Hot Springs early this season.

Gardiner has been playing well lately and will also figure in the playoff race. The Bruins play White Sulphur in another important Western C contest this week.

Although White Sulphur appeared to be the class of the conference early on, Hot Springs and West Yellowstone have been the most impressive lately, and the Wolverines have Haflich's undivided attention right now. West Yellowstone was the first team to defeat White Sulphur this season, although Denton-Geyser-Stanford also turned the trick a few weeks ago, knocking the favored Hornets down into the fight for the playoffs with everyone else.

The Devils had last week off and have been game-planning for West for the last two weeks.

"They are a solid team, we have been looking at them on film for a couple of weeks now so we feel we have a pretty good idea of what they'll do," Haflcih said. "It's been nice having the extra time off to deal with a few injuries for some kids, and to get over the flu bug for others."

Haflich likes the fact that the Devils' fate is in their own hands.

"It's nice to control our own destiny, if we win our games we are in (the playoffs)," he offered. "Now it is up to us, if we take care of our business, we will be playing in the post season."