By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

VICTORIA -- Victoria senior lineman Brenton Hoffman simply described the Knights' continued success and dominating defense.

"Teamwork," he said Wednesday afternoon. "We play hard together. Every snap."

That mantra is on the Victoria football team's gray practice shirts that read "WORK TOGETHER" and feature the definition of "team" complete with its part of speech.

It's helped create one of the best Eight-Man, Div. I football teams in Kansas. Victoria has gone 38-9 the past four seasons and captured two state championships, the last coming in 2006.

Last fall, the Knights finished 10-2 and, helped by Hoffman (five sacks) and senior safety Jordan Ottley (15 career interceptions), fashioned a great defenses.

The Knights allowed just 8.1 points per game and shut out six teams.

The scoring defense average that ranked better than powerhouses Hanover (12.3), Jetmore (14) and Macksville (13.7).

That trademark teamwork and defense will face a stiff test Friday night in one of the state's marquee matchups -- and the top area game in Week 1 of the 2008 football season.

Victoria, ranked No. 4 in the preseason coaches' poll, will travel to Macksville and face the defending Eight-Man I champions.

Macksville went 13-0 last year and outscored opponents by an average of 47-14. The Mustangs are ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll.

Both squads are in the Central Prairie League, but generally don't face off in football.

"It is going to be a great game," Ottley said.

That point was delivered by Victoria coach Doug Oberle after the end of Wednesday's practice. The team gathered in four lines.

After the assistants talked, Oberle delivered a short speech on Friday's game.

"It's your last opportunity to play the first game of your senior year," Oberle said. "How much better can it get to get on a bus with your teammates, with your coaches, and drive an hour and 45 minutes, get off the bus, get ready together as a team, be a team, step on the field, step on the battlefield and (play) the No. 1 team in the state of Kansas?"

The Knights, who lost all-state players Cade Scott and Cole Dreiling to graduation, still return a talented core. Victoria will primarily use its standard double-tight end offense and 3-2 defense.

Seniors Blake Klaus (602 rushing yards), Evan Koerner (637 rushing yards) and Ottley (911 total yards) run behind an offensive line that includes Hoffman, an 5-foot-10, 220-pounder who will likely play college football.

So will Ottley, a ballhawk in the defensive secondary for the past two years. He picked off 11 passes as a sophomore and four more last season.

"We study a lot of film and do a lot of (independent defense)," Ottley said.

The film study has helped Ottley, 5-7 and 170-pounds, to understand the opponent. Ottley doesn't have blazing speed, but Oberle calls him "intelligent."

"It's everything," Oberle said. "Physically, mentally, understanding our scheme, scouting, understanding what the other teams' tendencies are, what they like to do in certain situations and read and reacting to the football."

Ottley, who first started consistently as a sophomore, at first didn't see frequent playing time offensively. He focused solely on playing defense and delivered several critical interceptions in a 12-1 season that resulted in a state championship.

"The thing that makes him very effective at the safety position is the first 10 yards," Oberle said. "He is very quick. He can change direction quickly and in that first 10 yards, he can make a break on a ball. That first 10 yards is where he makes an impact."

In the 40-12 state title win in 2006, Hope's 6-foot-5 tight end went across the middle. Ottley read the play, went up and made the pick.

"That one, in my mind, sticks out," Oberle said.

Ottley's defense has helped separate Victoria from nearly every team in the state. The Knights have routinely defeated teams with ease in Oberle's two years as head coach, with all 21 wins by at least 35 points.

Last season, Bushton-Quivira Heights and Palco were the only two squads to tally more than six points in a game.

They Knights will likely face a stronger test in Macksville. Ottley said the players found out about the matchup in May. The contest has been marked ever since -- and not just because it's two powerhouses.

"It's the first game of the season," Ottley said.

Kensington-Thunder Ridge at Hanover

Thunder Ridge, in its first year of existence after Kensington and Agra-Eastern Heights joined forces, will face one of Eight Man's top teams in the Longhorns' first-ever game. Hanover went to the Eight Man I championship game last season, is 21-2 the last two years and hasn't lost a regular season game since 2005.

Kensington did beat Hanover 46-0 in the 2006 playoffs and running back/defensive back Mike Yoxall and TE/DB Taylor Kuhlmann return to Thunder Ridge from that squad.

Hill City vs. Ashland

(at Jetmore)

Hill City, a former 11-man team, has moved down to eight-man. Hill City is receiving votes in the coaches' poll and will face a strong test in Ashland, 7-3 last season.

Plainville at Smith Center

History occurred the last two times these squads matched up. Last season, in the playoffs, Smith Center set a national record with 72 first-quarter points and won 83-0.

Because of the way Redmen coach Roger Barta handled the situation and Smith Center's dominance, Smith Center earned national media coverage and the National Coach of the Year award for Barta.

Smith Center, ranked No. 1 in Class 2-1A in the preseason coaches' poll, will carry a 54-game winning streak into Friday night and it's the team's first game with a restocked roster.

Only four starters, including 350-pound offensive tackle Justin Nixon, return from 2007.

"We lost a lot of good players, but we have a lot of good players ready to step in," junior running back Colt Rogers said.

"We practiced against some of the best players in the state every day last year and that really helped us out a lot. I think we will be ready."

Lakeside off

Downs-Lakeside is the only team in the area that will not play Week 1. It was supposed to play Jewell, but Jewell, because of a numbers shortage, consolidated with Pike Valley.

"The Lakeside athletic director was trying to find somebody to fill it, but couldn't find anybody," assistant coach Curt Christians said Wednesday night.

"It's pretty hard to find a game once everybody has their schedule filled. ... We didn't want an open date at all."

The Knights will play Pike Valley in Week five. They'll open the season against Linn next Friday.