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Semipro gridders eager for rematch By KRIS HENRY The positioning may not mean much, but the pride factor will be working overtime when the Rogue Warriors and Rogue Valley Blaze meet tonight in the regular season finale for both Oregon Football League teams. The rival semipro squads each want to send a clear message as to which should be favored for the second OFL championship. Game time tonight is 7 at Eagle Point High. "This is a game that people will want to see," says Blaze coach Kevin Wells. "You'll have a good idea of what this league is about if you come see this game." The Blaze (8-0) knocked off the Warriors (7-1) on May 8, rallying from down 24-0 for a 34-30 win. It was the Blaze's first-ever victory over the 1998 OFL champs. Since then, both teams have anticipated tonight's rematch. "Right after that clock hit zero, I was looking forward to this," Warriors coach/linebacker Harry Flowers says. "We're looking to try and send a message that we're still here. I think they know we're still here, but we want to send a message that we're coming back and coming back strong." Both teams are assured a spot in the July 17 playoffs, with the Blaze needing a win to maintain the No. 1 seed. A Warriors win would give them the top seed due to a tiebreaker advantage. Four of the five OFL teams advance to the two-week playoffs, with the championship game scheduled July 24. Tonight's second meeting should be an interesting contrast from the May encounter, with each team sporting an altered lineup and revised game plan. For the Blaze, missing will be running back Kurt Jacoby, who carried the load in the first encounter but moved to Portland three weeks ago. Another key player, tight end Mike Morrell, was injured two weeks ago against Klamath Falls and is still waiting for medical clearance. Returning to the Blaze will be linebacker Darren Turi Turi, who has missed every game since tearing a calf muscle against the Warriors in May. "We have a little different look than we did last time," says Wells. "We put together a game plan that we think is going to catch them off guard a little bit." The biggest adjustment in preparing for the Warriors comes in the form of experience. "The first time we played them we had basically a new squad, so a lot of the kids who had come to play hadn't faced that type of situation or pressure before. They didn't really know what to expect," says Wells. "That's the advantage we have this time: Our players know what to expect." Flowers says his team will make a few adjustments on offense and defense. "Last time we really didn't make adjustments because we thought we were in a coasting mode, and we weren't," he says. "We're going to make sure we make the adjustments this time, sometimes even right after the play." The Warriors will be close to full strength, with tight end Chad Thorne's injured elbow possibly sidelining him. He, too, is is waiting for medical clearance. Flowers says the team's biggest adjustment will be in attitude. "One of the big things for this time is we're going to have a lot more emotion playing against a team that beat us," he says. "Anytime you have a chance to play a team that came back to beat you, that's a challenge. We're looking forward to that challenge." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.