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St. Joseph Game 2 Preview Capsule

By Mike Johnson (Kenosha News), 08/30/19, 10:45AM CDT

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St. Joseph (1-0) at HOPE Christian (0-0)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Raabe Stadium (1401 N. Swan Blvd., Wauwatosa)

Series note: In Week 2 of last season, the host Lancers pummeled HOPE Christian, 49-8, after leading 27-0 through one quarter and 35-0 at halftime. … Jake Gessert, now a senior running back/defensive back, ran for two TDs and a had a 70-yard kickoff return for another.

Player to watch: St. Joseph has a talented and experienced defensive back corps of Gessert, senior Dominic Stancato and juniors Jack Davidson, Max McCarville and Xavier Neave. ... "We expect big things from that group all year," St. Joseph coach Matt Rizzo said. "It's an experienced group with plenty of varsity snaps, so we will look for this group to primarily lead our defense on a week-to-week basis. ... HOPE Christian has plenty of guys who can change direction on a dime or make a guy miss, especially Malcolm Gillie, a top returning receiver in the state. We will mix in coverages to keep them off-balance the best we can. I think our guys are up for the test."

Key stat: St. Joseph featured a balanced offense in its 34-8 Week 1 victory over Milwaukee Bradley Tech. Gessert accumulated 119 total yards and scored four TDs (two rushing, two receiving), while sophomore quarterback Jacob Ashmus went 9-of-14 for 71 yards with two TDs through the air and rushed for 20 yards and another score.

FYI: A member of the Midwest Classic Conference, HOPE Christian had its Week 1 game against Milwaukee North canceled, so this will be its season opener. … The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight but was moved to 1 p.m. Saturday due to a scheduling conflict at Raabe Stadium.