Salina South High football coach Ken Stonebraker has done the math, analyzed the stats and watched plenty of film in search of something that will set his Cougars apart from Blue Valley in the Class 5A state championship game.

He hasn’t found a major difference yet.

Perhaps it’s fitting that there are so many similarities between the top two teams in the state. Both pass effectively. Both have dominated their opponents with the running game. Both have defenses that allow fewer than 10 points per game.

The Cougars (11-1) and Tigers (11-1) finally will decide who’s better when they meet for the title at 2:45 p.m. today at Memorial Stadium.

“We’ve thrown for over 2,000 yards this year and rushed for over 2,000 yards,” Stonebraker said, “but they run well, too. They’ve rushed for over 2,000 yards, and they’ve also thrown for over 1,300 yards. Both teams have solid defenses and offenses, so something’s gotta give.”

Salina South is seeking its first title since 2000. The Cougars have a steady ground game, but use a committee of backs to get the job done. Senior tailback Jeff Adam has rushed for 965 yards and 15 touchdowns, while junior Quinn Cunningham has 727 yards rushing and 307 yards receiving this season. Senior quarterback Luke Sims has completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,386 yards. Almost 800 of those yards have been thrown to senior wide receiver Jason Dolan.

Blue Valley has won 11 straight since dropping its opener, 21-7, at Topeka Seaman. The Tigers, who won titles in 1991 and 1998, are making their seventh appearance in a state championship game. They average more than 32 points per game. They’ve been held to 10 or fewer points twice this year, however.

Junior quarterback Geno Waters has more than 1,500 yards of total offense, but senior running back Chase Holtom is Blue Valley’s biggest offensive threat, having rushed for 1,738 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. It’s the Tigers’ rushing attack that concerns Stonebraker the most.

“They really come at you with their running game,” he said. “They have a lot of size and strength, and they are able to push people around. If they’re able to dominate the line of scrimmage, then they’re going to make a lot of trouble for us.”

The staple of both squads is defense. The Cougars and Tigers have surrendered just 9.4 points per game. Senior free safety Michael Denning leads Blue Valley’s defense with 71 tackles and two interceptions, while senior defensive backs Kyle Flax and Klint Woods have combined for 115 tackles.

“Our strength has been our defense,” Stonebraker said. “But they’re going to be challenged this game more than any other all year because of Blue Valley’s physical presence.”