By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

VICTORIA - In past seasons, the Victoria prep football team has found success as a predominantly running football team. Fourth-year head coach Doug Oberle estimated the Knights threw the ball 7 to 8 times a game during last season's 12-1 and Eight-Man, Division II state runner-up finish. This year, with senior quarterback Garrett Dreiling, that number has significantly increased.

"It's at least double what we were doing, plus a little bit more," Oberle said.

The passing game has yielded a balanced offense ­-- and one of several changes for the Knights' offensive and defensive fronts. Victoria, which lost one all-state lineman and multiple starters to graduation, has changed personnel, switched blocking schemes, pass blocked more frequently and rotated players on the lines, adjustments that have yielded a 9-1 record and No. 5 ranking in the statewide media poll.

"We are strongest as a team," junior Steven Hotaling said. "We don't have all-stars."

Victoria, 40-5 under Oberle with a state title and runner-up finish, will travel to Kiowa-South Barber (7-3) on Saturday for a second round playoff matchup. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m.

"Hopefully we keep going," junior lineman Dylan Kuhn said.

South Barber, which beat previously undefeated Ashland 28-18 in the first round of the playoffs Tuesday, is led by head coach James Johnston, 140-72 in his 22nd year. His son, junior Christian Johnson, is the starting quarterback. The offensive line has three returning starters and four players at 200 pounds or more. Oberle calls Johnston "very creative" and similar to Jeff Savage, the architect of big turnarounds at Bushton-Quivira Heights and Central-Burden.

"He throws the ball pretty good. That is what he likes to do, like to spread it out and throw it," Oberle said of a Chieftain team that has outscored opponents 373-228. "They run the ball really well."

The Knights, though, have also been effective offensively, averaging 51 points per contest, fifth-most in Eight-Man, Division II and the best average since Victoria went to eight-man earlier this decade. Senior Austin Roth has 979 rushing yards, while senior Brett Ottley has picked up 952 yards from scrimmage (685 rushing) and senior quarterback Garrett Dreiling is 69-for-130 for 1,188 yards.

"We are balanced," Oberle said. "I do like that. We have been able to get some bigger plays through our passing game and I think at the end of the day, it just makes us a better team on offense."

"I think it's a good balance, keeps teams guessing on what we are going to do from week to week," Hotaling said.

Kuhn, who has been arguably the Knights' top lineman, has delivered a strong season in multiple roles. As a sophomore, Kuhn started on offense before he broke his leg in Week 9. This year, Kuhn was in a rotation at nose guard before he took over the starting job and picked up 36 total tackles.

"Kuhn is a powerful kid, he is short, gets under the pads well," Oberle said.

At the start of the season, the 190-pound Kuhn was at left guard while junior Steven Hotaling and sophomore Zach VonLintel switched off at center. VonLintel eventually started and Hotaling moved to defensive end.

"I will go where I am needed," Hotaling said. "Coach needs me on defense and I will play my heart out there."

However, for South Barber, Kuhn will be at center and Hotaling will switch off at left guard with sophomore Kelton Unrein. The rest of the line will remain intact with senior end Quincy Robben, senior right guard Curtis Gasper and junior end Andrew Karlin. Unrein and VonLintel are each expected to play.

"They are good football players and I'm not afraid to put them in at any time," Oberle said.

Even with the changes, the fronts have played well. The 165-pound Hotaling became a strong defensive end with 69 total tackles, four sacks and three tackles for loss.

"Kind of the way that we approached him is (the change) is going to be allow you to be a better defensive end because you are going to have some rest on the offensive side of the ball," Oberle said. "We made the move with him and he has been fine with it. For his size, he is really strong. He is a guy that is long enough with his reach to get extension on people and make some plays on the edge."

On offense, the Knights have improved their passing game. Victoria, who lost more than 2,600 rushing yards to graduation, started Dreiling, last year's passing quarterback, behind center full-time this year. His arm has allowed Victoria to sometimes run out of spread sets -- and force the Knights to block differently.

"A lot of people tend to take breaks off in pass blocking, but we should actually play harder on pass blocking to keep pressure off Garrett and he can make a good pass," Hotaling said.

That aggressiveness is something Oberle and Vandergrift have worked on with the linemen. While run blocking is a straight forward movement, lineman kick step and move back in pass blocking.

"The hardest thing was getting our guys to buy into the fact that you can be aggressive when you pass block," Oberle said. "It's not necessarily a passive set for us. The biggest thing with us is we try not to get kickstep or gain a lot of depth back and open up. We are going to try and play you more at the line of scrimmage and pass block there, but be aggressive at the point of attack."

The 6-5 Dreiling has six games where he has completed at least half his passes; three have come in the last four weeks.

In the last three weeks, defenses have tried to confuse the Knights by shifting defensive formations. However, Dreiling has thrown for 455 yards and six touchdowns against teams with a combined 21-7 record.

"Garrett has done a good job here recently I think of staying in the pocket, helping us out, taking a step forward or step back and making a play with his arm and helping our front out," Oberle said. "Obviously, if you can run the ball effectively, it sets up the play action and I think we have been able to do that. I've been really happy the last few weeks with our pass sets. I think our front has done a great job pass blocking."