C. Milton Wright coach Steve Harward said Monday that he planned to spend the entire week focusing on execution and the importance of special teams play.
This after watching Wheaton edge No. 3 Poly by 17-16 last weekend on three scores -- a field goal and two touchdowns -- that were set up by a blocked punt, a fumbled punt and a roughing-the-kicker penalty on a punting situation.
Aberdeen scored its second touchdown on a punt return in C. Milton Wright's only loss, a 21-20 setback to Aberdeen.
"That's where Wheaton seemed to take advantage of Poly," said Harward, whose ninth-ranked Mustangs (10-1) play host to the Knights (10-1) in tonight's 3A state semifinal at 7:30.
"They were a very good team that made few mistakes," said Harward. "And if they can do what they did to Poly, they can do that against anybody."
The Mustangs, making their seventh straight playoff appearance, hope to add to a nine-game winning streak against Wheaton, making its first playoff appearance since 1980.
Each team brings something that the other hasn't seen -- the Mustangs are enormous, and the Knights have a premier wide receiver.
The Mustangs boast more size than Gaithersburg, "the biggest team we've faced," said Wheaton coach Lee Brantover, whose Knights edged Gaithersburg, 20-14, in their second game of the year.
"They're swatters. That's what we call it when they're so big, they can just swat aside your defense like flies," said Brantover, after scouting the Mustangs' 10-3 win over Franklin last weekend. "I mean, they're just huge."
The size concerning Brantover stems from players like James Greene (6-4, 305), Todd Strasavich (6-4, 315), Zeke Johnson (6-0, 275), Wilson Hanks (6-3, 235) and Jim Fielder (6-0, 275), who have blocked well for running backs Rich Juergenson (1,016, eight touchdowns) and Todd Behler (889, 10).
"Our kids have shown a great work ethic and they've been students of the game all year long," said Harward. "I think they know that's what they're going to have to continue to do to beat a good team like Wheaton."
But the Knights, riding a 10-game winning streak, boast perhaps the best receiver the Mustangs have faced in highly recruited Byron Moody (35 receptions, 480 yards, four touchdowns), who likely will do battle with Mustangs quarterback/defensive back Duane Fisher (10 interceptions).
Moody, who Brantover said "runs good routes, has nice hands and is capable of carrying a team," is expected to play this week after missing the Poly game for disciplinary reasons. He is being recruited by Notre Dame, Maryland, Florida and Nebraska among others.
Without Moody, the Knights relied on running back Kevin Johnson (1,228 yards, 14 touchdowns), who last week rushed 31 times for 168 of the Knights' 180 total offensive yards.
"Against Poly, we just kept going with what worked, but Kevin's actually capable of carrying 42 or 45 times," said Brantover.
But along with Moody and Johnson (10 receptions, 117 yards, one touchdown), Wheaton has quarterback Danny Ray (799 passing yards, six touchdowns) and running back Brian Shaw (528 yards, four touchdowns).
"The players are at the point where they believe in themselves fundamentally, and that didn't happen overnight," said Brantover. "But it doesn't take a genius to know that the less mistakes you make, the better your chances are of winning."
The Knights' wide-tackle 6 defense is accustomed to capitalizing on others' miscues behind Ray (a team-leading six interceptions) and punter/kicker/defensive back Chris Tao (three interceptions). Matt Roark (138 tackles, 91 solo) and Tommy Ahn (130, 74 solo) each have a team-leading nine sacks.
"Their quarterback can do it all, and he's just one of a few great athletes Wheaton has," said Harward. "We've had some really close games and we pride ourselves on being a second-half team, but we don't want to let them build a 10-0 lead in the first half" as they did against Poly.