The conventional wisdom holds that to knock Big Sandy off its undisputed No. 1 perch in 6-man football, an opponent just needs to stop the offensive bombardment of Kade Strutz rushes.
For the second consecutive week, a playoff team threw literally everything they had at doing just that and found it easier said than done.
Richey-Lambert (7-3) succeeded no more in their efforts than did Power-Dutton-Brady a week earlier in the conference title game. Strutz carried 30 times for 265 yards and four touchdowns in a 51-16 home win to begin the state playoff march.
"We're going to see a lot of this six-guys-in-the-box," Big Sandy coach Larry Jappe said of postseason foes' defensive approach.
The visiting Fusion learned a couple of things early that may get hidden in the fine print about Pioneer football.
For one, Big Sandy has a passing ability that will not tolerate an overemphasis on keying in on the run.
After Strutz's first two carries of the game netted only 7 yards, quarterback Parker Proulx found end Clint Darlington, who rumbled up field 35 yards on the catch.
Darlington said he likes throwing the change-up at defenses.
"It works really well when we run the same play again and again," he said. "They think it's coming another time, and then we switch it upon them."
Three plays later, Strutz had a 23-yard touchdown run where he powered up the middle of the field swatting away would-be tacklers like pesky mosquitoes.
Second of all, Strutz is a two-way player and will happily score from the defensive side of the ball as well.
When Fusion quarterback Blaine Frisbie made an ill-advised shovel pass to try and extend a play at midfield on their opening drive, Strutz snatched it out of the air and took it 41 yards to the end zone for a 14-0 lead.
"Last week, he had a pick-six, too," Jappe said. "A lot of times, you don't hear his name on defense. Our front three guys take care of business. But he's always there."
He was there in the end zone twice more on 19- and 67-yard rushes for a 30-0 advantage before the Pioneers got into their closest contest since Week 1 hosting East champion Jordan.
Frisbie recovered from his early jitters, began picking apart the Pioneers' secondary and tossed touchdown strikes of 5 and 7 yards to Brett Mullin with surgical precision. At halftime, Richey-Lambert more than halved their deficit to 30-16. In a blow to their rally effort, however, Frisbie sustained an injury near the end of the first half and had to exit the game. He did not return.
"We started celebrating a bit too soon," Jappe said. "Guys were taking plays off. They got a little talking to at halftime."
Whatever was said, they listened.
Midway through the third quarter, Brock Proulx capped a 5-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust style drive with an appropriate 1-yard plunge up the gut to score.
A more comfortable 38-16 lead got cozier when Brady Pleninger forced a Fusion fumble on the ensuing drive, and Darlington scooped it up.
"Our defense was stifling again," Jappe said. "(Clint) is a top-notch player. Defensively, he's been kind of our main guy all year."
Darlington said he could readily read the Fusion offense.
"They did a lot of option stuff," he said. "It was easy to see when they were going to run."
Strutz added another 3-yard scamper on a pitch to the right and transfer back Chris Burns completed a 1-yard push up the middle to round out the scoring.
Parker Proulx led the Pioneers with 13 tackles, and Darlington tallied both of his team's quarterback sacks in the defensive effort.
With the win, Big Sandy (9-0) advances to the state quarterfinal, the round where their season ended a year ago. Instead of a lengthy journey to Wibaux, however, this season's resumé permits the Pioneers to stay home another week.
They will host the Roy/Winifred Outlaws (6-3), the third seed out of the South division. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
A look at common opponents favors Big Sandy. The Pioneers crushed MonDak by 46 points, a team the Outlaws lost to by 36. Roy/Winifred lost 70-34 to Richey-Lambert.
The Outlaws won their state playoff opener, 38-29 at Noxon (6-3), the West's No. 2.
In other 6-man state playoff action Saturday, Jordan beat North Star 51-6, and Bridger topped White Sulphur Springs 43-41 on the Pioneers' side of the bracket. Due to tiebreaker rules made before the season, Big Sandy would travel to Jordan on Nov. 16 if both teams advance to the semifinal.
On the opposite side of the bracket, Hot Springs remained undefeated with a 47-18 win against Harlowton/Ryegate; MonDak ousted Power-Dutton-Brady 50-0; Shields Valley beat Geraldine/Highwood 59-38 and Wibaux edged Denton/Geyser/Stanford 26-18.
