WALLACE –– The Miners had to wait a week, but they now know who they get in the first round of the 1A State Playoffs.  

A nice, long road trip and the chance to face the number one team in the state, Carey Panthers.  

Wallace Head Coach Jared Young’s team is effectively playing with house money. After losing to Lakeside in September, every game the Miners have played has basically been a playoff game, but with each win, his team has grown more confident. 

“We are excited for the matchup and there’s no pressure on us, but you can bet we will be playing with a chip on our shoulder,” Young said. “As long as we can stay composed and take care of the football, we like our chances.”  

One of the biggest questions headed into this matchup will be if either team has to shake off any rust. Wallace has been idle since they knocked off Lakeside 11 days ago. Meanwhile, Carey hasn’t played since October 18 and finished their season with a forfeit win over Camas County.  

“Anytime you have a break that long it’s tough to keep kids focused but I think they will be well prepared,” Young said of his opponent. “They’re a well-coached team, and we know they will be ready, but it may give us an edge early in the game.”  

Carey, which sits about an hour north of Twin Falls, can be a cold and clustery place to play football in early November. Despite the long bus trip and potentially brutal conditions, Young is preparing his guys as he would before any game.  

“All we can do is control what we can control and stay focused,” He said. “We just need to keep the kids loose and treat it just like any other day. Football at this time of the year is a mental battle, and we just need to keep focused and get off the bus as they say.”  

While standouts Julian Davis and Cooper Miller will lead Wallace’s high-octane offense, it’s going to be the guys in the trenches on the other side of the ball who will have to be on their A game if they want to keep Carey quarterback Preston Wood in check.  

“Much like Tyson Charley from Lakeside, we have to be ready to keep Wood contained,” Young said. “They have several good athletes, so we have to play smart football, contain the run, and force them into passing situations.”  

Young knows this is easier said than done. Carey comes into the game averaging 57.5 points per game, while allowing just 13.  

Wallace hasn’t had much issue scoring this year. In fact, their 54 points per contest is eerily similar to that of their opponent. But defensively, they’ve had a few games where they’ve allowed a few more points than Young would’ve liked. They’ll have to tighten up in a big way to keep Carey from moving the ball.  

Wallace hasn’t been in the postseason in three years - when this year’s seniors were just freshmen. This lack of playoff experience doesn’t bother Young and his team because he believes he has the right guys for the job. If they can find the endzone the way they have all season, control the clock, and force a turnover or two, He feels pretty good about their chances.  

If Wallace can use their offense to control the clock and limit the amount of possessions Carey gets throughout the game, this could be the recipe for an upset.   

The word upset is an interesting one here because both these squads have 8-1 records and were district champions. However, due to the MaxPreps ranking system, Wallace was seeded eighth following last week’s at-large contests.   

“Worrying about seeding at this point won’t matter, it is what it is and it’s the system we have right now.” Young said. “But cards are delt. We have to play Carey and that’s what we will do. Anything can happen in the playoffs and to win the state title we would most likely have to play them anyway, we will just get a chance at it a little earlier.”   

Wallace plays Carey on Friday, November 8, at 3 p.m. (PST) at Carey High School.