SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Whittier vs. Savanna

RECORDS--Whittier (9-4); Savanna (11-2)

SITE--Glover Stadium, 7:30 p.m. Saturday

WHITTIER--The Cardinals play “blue-collar football,” according to Whittier Coach Mike Fitch. “We just play four downs to make 10 (yards) football,” Fitch said. “We go with the hard work and discipline approach.” That approach has worked well thus far in the playoffs, especially on defense. Whittier has allowed only 18 points in three playoff games, and in 13 games this season are allowing an average of only 11 points per game. Whittier is strong up front--literally--with nose tackle Greg Ford and tackle James Sherman. Ford finished fourth in the state heavyweight wrestling championships as a junior and Sherman can bench press 400 pounds. On offense, the Cardinals run and run some more with tailback Kourtney Dean, who averages six yards per carry. Fitch is worried about Savanna’s potent passing attack countering his attacking defense but hopes the Cardinal pass rush can negate some of the Rebels’ air game. Whittier’s last two playoff victories came against Orange League teams Anaheim and Western and on Saturday, the Cardinals face a third Orange League entry in the Rebels. “They do a lot of things well and they’re the best team we’ve faced so far,” Fitch said. “I don’t think we can make this a low-scoring game against their offense, so we’re ready for a shootout.”

SAVANNA--The Rebels realize that Whittier is a more physical team, but Savanna Coach Fred Di Palma is used to facing bigger teams. “We’ve faced a lot of teams this year that were bigger than we are, and Whittier is definitely one of those,” Di Palma said. “Their strength is their strength. What we try to do is keep them off balance with our passing and a key against Whittier will be to take the offensive against their defense.” In other words, attack the attackers. The Rebels have the players to attack through the air: Savanna quarterback Paul Waldrop led Orange County in passing during the regular season and wide receiver Rani Kahouch was the county’s top receiver. The Rebels also have 6-foot-3 wide receiver Mike Hynes to go to when Kahouch draws heavy coverage. Savanna has scored more than 30 points six times this season and has outscored playoff opponents by a margin of 82-39. The Rebels are coming off a 20-0 shutout of top-seeded Valencia in the semifinals and must gear themselves to slow Whittier’s rushing attack. “Whittier did a good job against Western (in the other semifinal) with their ground game, and that’s what they’ll try against us,” Di Palma said. “We’ll have to play with controlled aggressiveness the way we did against Valencia.” Fitch expressed concerns about Savanna’s special teams play, especially kick returner Mike Flores, and the versatility that running back Daven King brings to the Revel offense.

KEY TO THE GAME--Whittier must run effectively; Savanna must pass effectively. It really is that simple, as the teams are distinctly different in their approach to moving the ball. If the Cardinals can control the ball on the ground and limit Savanna’s number of possessions, their physical play will be a factor late in the game. But stopping the Rebel passing attack won’t be easy, especially since Whittier has faced few teams that throw the ball as frequently (and probably none that throw as well) as Savanna does. And once the Rebels begin moving with the pass, the ground game with King gains frequent breakaway potential. Fitch expects it to be a high-scoring game; if it is, Whittier will be in trouble.

CONSENSUS--Both teams have played their best football in the playoffs, but Savanna should negate Whittier’s physical style with a well-balanced attack. Figure the Cardinals to make it lower-scoring than Fitch expects, but not low-scoring enough.