Ben Corley knows how much work his players have put into preparing for the 2009 season.
Now the second-year head coach hopes that work will pay off when the season begins Friday as Madison County pays W. Clair Harris Stadium a visit for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
“Our kids are excited about getting going,” Corley said. “We have worked hard for a long time. We are excited to see where we are.”
The Bulldoggs are coming off a somewhat unusual first week bye, the result of a draw where 11 teams are in Region 8-AAAA. The open date gave the WBHS coaching staff a chance to watch Madison County in person during the Red Raiders game against Rockdale County, a 28-6 loss.
“They are scary because they can attack you in so many ways,” Corley said. “We will have our hands full.”
Both WBHS and Madison County are coming off disappointing seasons and no doubt are both looking at this week’s game as a chance to get in the victory column.
“A win would go a long way in validating all the work we have done,” Corley said. “We know Madison County works hard too. This would help our confidence so much and help our energy level going forward.”
In breaking down the contest, the WBHS coach sees several keys in order for his team to have a chance to emerge victorious this week.
The first will be to play well up front on both sides of the football. It’s a simple concept, but one Corley knows is vital.
“We have to tackle well in space,” Corley said. “We also have to make plays when we have a chance. We have to make tackles and make throws. If we do those things, we have a chance.”
In addition, the Bulldogg coach hopes playing at home will be somewhat of an advantage. Madison County faces a somewhat long journey to Winder.
“We hope for a great home crowd for a boost,” Corley said. “If we are at home we want it to be an advantage. We know where the bathrooms are if we need them.”
This week’s practice will see the team work more specifically on game planning with an opponent lined up for Friday night. Specifics will be talked about for Madison County and coaches will stress to the players what needs to be done in order to do well.
“We’re ready to go,” Corley said. “Everyone is eager to get the season started.”
Madison County coach Randall Owens said Winder-Barrow is a team building on what Corley installed during his inaugural season in 2008.
“They’ll be a lot like last year,” Owens said. “They’ll just do it more efficiently.”
To be successful against the Bulldoggs, Madison County must eliminate mental mistakes, particularly the drive-killing penalties that hindered it in the loss to Rockdale County, and control lines of scrimmage, Owens said.
“Obviously, we have to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football and create opportunities for our running backs and do a better job of protecting our quarterback and not put ourselves in a position where we’re down and have to comeback,” the Madison County coach said earlier this week.
BULLDOGG NOTES: The weekends are a busy time for Corley and his coaches.
Following games on Friday nights, the WBHS coaching staff will meet Saturdays to grade the game. A freshman coach will travel to meet a representative from the next week’s opponent to exchance game footage.
By the time the assistant returns to WBHS football headquarters, coaches have worked out what went right and wrong the previous night.
Coaches return Sundays to game plan for the next opponent. Corley said coaches typically work four hours on Saturdays and anywhere from four to six hours on Sundays.
