FORT WAYNE – Beg pardon if Saint Francis coach Kevin Donley annoyingly, if unknowingly, continuously hums the old tune “Getting to Know You” this week.
Now that the No. 9 Cougars survived an 8-2 regular season and received an invitation to play in the NAIA playoffs, the next process is gathering information and formulating a scouting report on Saturday’s opponent, No. 7 Missouri Valley College.
“Not knowing about the level of competition and the personnel (is difficult),” said Donley, whose team will leave Fort Wayne on Thursday for the 1 p.m. game in Marshall, Mo., 70 miles east of Kansas City.
Statistically, the 9-1 Vikings appear to be a handful. They’re second in the NAIA in total defense (204.7 yards allowed per game), and third in pass defense (130.7) and rushing defense (74.0).
They, like Saint Francis, are coming into the game on a four-game winning streak and have won their last 10 games at Gregg-Mitchell Field, a 3,200-seat house that has a turf field similar to Saint Francis’ Bishop D’Arcy Stadium.
Donley said since both teams traded digital game recordings late Sunday, he and his staff have been studying the Vikings, who tied for first in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
“Systematically you can watch enough film,” Donley said. “You hope you pick the three films that are most beneficial. That’s the same way on both sides.”
Missouri Valley’s lone loss this season was a 35-19 road loss at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan.
Benedictine is one of three Valley opponents that had a winning record. In the second game of the season, Valley defeated co-HAAC champion MidAmerica Nazarene (9-1) 26-21 and beat Baker (7-3) 38-7.
Saint Francis’ two losses were to Saint Xavier, No. 1 at the time, 42-31, and to Marian, No. 2 at the time, 40-13. Since then, Marian has jumped to No. 1 in the NAIA poll, and Saint Xavier is No. 5.
“There are some advantages as well as disadvantages when you don’t play one another,” Donley said. “I think some of the things we do – an unbalanced line and so forth – present some preparation issues if you’ve never gone against it. I always look at it as it’s an advantage for us when we play somebody we’ve never played before.”
If there is a perceived advantage, Donley says, it’s that Missouri Valley requested “film” on the Cougars’ games against Marian and Walsh.
“(Austin) Coleman and (Frank) Wolfe never dressed for those games,” Donley said.
Senior tailback Wolfe, who was out with a knee injury, averages 89.2 yards per game and has four rushing touchdowns.
Junior receiver Coleman, who had a shoulder injury, averages 48.3 yards per game and has six touchdowns. He also has four kickoff returns for touchdowns.
