ELKS DOMINATION

Sept. 1: Defeated Brainerd 42-0; Sept. 9: Defeated Chisago Lakes 44-7; Sept. 16: Defeated Cambridge-Isanti 33-0; Sept. 23: Defeated St. Michael-Albertville 43-6; Sept. 30: Defeated Buffalo 63-21

FRIDAY'S MATCHUP

Keys for Rogers: The Royals know Elk River's wing-T set and have figured it out as well as anyone. The defense, which has shut out back-to-back opponents, will need to stick to its assignments, with every player tending to his job. Elk River thrives when opponents start freelancing or taking bad angles of pursuit. Sound tackling is a must, as is not allowing Elk River easy touchdowns on big plays. On offense, Rogers needs to be consistent and take care of the ball. The Royals have a running back-by-committee approach, so a little faking and deception of their own could flip the momentum.

Keys for Elk River: The Elks consider Rogers to be their biggest rival, so they need to keep from getting too hyped for the game. "It's not hard to get up for this one," offensive tackle Ronald Audette said. If the Elks have a flaw, it's their penchant for fumbling, which often is an unwanted by-product of their offensive scheme. They've lost 10 fumbles this year and could find themselves in their first tight game of the year if they give Rogers too many short fields.

Jim Paulsen