Location: Monona
Date: October 28, 2023
Time: 12:00 am
Media Coverage
The BearCast will be on the play-by-play call. If you cannot be at the game, you can listen or watch via the web. More info.
Tune in to the BearCast at 6:40 for the pregame where Mike Quinlan and Jarod Tylee will be calling the game live, offering in-game analysis and halftime/postgame interviews.
For print media, the Cedar Rapids Gazette, the West Branch Times, YourPrepSports.com, and WestBranch.Football will be at the the game.
Team Records & Rankings
MFL MarMac is 8-1 on the season and is ranked #4. West Branch is 6-3 and is not ranked.
Last Meeting
In 2022, the Bears defeated the Bulldogs 27-24 at Little Rose Bowl. View more from that game.
Game Notes
MFL MARMAC has been a team on the come up - and has stayed up - for three consecutive seasons. Anchored by a deep class of seniors, the 2023 variety may turn out to be its best team yet. QB Carver Blietz-Bentien (868 total yards, 18 total TD), RB Wyatt Powell (856 total yards, 11 TD), RB/WR Bryce Radloff (540 total yards, 10 TD) are certainly offensive leaders of the Bulldog engine. The only non-senior major contributor is Quinn McGeough (698 rush yards, 6 TD). He is the team's leading rusher. MFL comes at you from so many directions. Motion and movement. Misdirection. They get defenses off balance, and that's when the Bulldogs bite you. You cannot key on just one or two player(s) like most teams. Then, move over to the defensive side of things for MFL and you have more confusion coming your way. Blitzes from every direction. Tristan Koehn is averaging 2 TFL per game. He leads a foursome of Dogs in double digit TFL's with 20 on the season. The Bulldogs have one thing in mind: revenge from a 27-24 quarterfinal loss to the Bears in 2022. You can bet they won't leave anything in the tool box.
WEST BRANCH is coming off a fantastic performance running the football. Three different players (Cale Seydel, Auron Marsh, Brennen Dale) eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark. That is something the program has not seen before. It is a performance the Bears will need to draw upon to win on the road this week. It is the defense where West Branch has truly hung its hat, and brought that Lunch Pail mentality, all season long. Very few teams have been able to establish a running game against the WB front seven. However, very few teams bring a pedigree of rushing success like the Bulldogs will on Friday. You can bet Logan Wright, Shae Farmer, Reese Trepanier, Trenton Schutte, Mike Montgomery, and friends will be tested….but they will also be ready for a fight. You have to be at this point in the season.
KEEP AN EYE ON: #45 Koehn. He is an absolute party crasher on defense.
THREE HUNDRED REASONS: The Bears did something against Pleasantville not seen before. Cale Seydel (160 yards), Brennen Dale (134), and Auron Marsh (105) turned the hat trick.
WE GOT A “D”: West Branch was placed in Pod D in the Class 1A, Round of 16 pairings. It will look pretty familiar as MFL MarMac joins District 5 foes Regina and Wilton.
THE MORE YOU KNOW: MFL MarMac is a blend of 5 different communities. Perhaps its most famous alumni is Raef LaFrentz. He is a former HS All-American, College All-American (Kansas), 3rd overall draft pick, and 11 year NBA veteran.
Go Bears!