For the Apalachee High School football team, it’s nine regular season opponents down and one to go.
The Wildcats will look to complete a perfect regular season this week when they host Salem High School for Senior Night. After defeating Madison County on the road last Friday, AHS returns home hoping to continue building momentum for the upcoming postseason.
The contest is also important for the Seminoles, although for different reasons. Salem has won three in a row but with a win this Friday it will clinch a playoff spot and if certain scenarios play out, the team could finish with the No. 3 seed. Win or lose, AHS will be a No. 1 seed for the postseason.
“They have been scoring a lot of points lately,” AHS coach Shane Davis said. “They are big on both the offensive and defensive lines. They run the option and their back runs extremely hard. They don’t throw it much, but when they do they get big plays.”
The key for the Wildcat defense will be to play their responsibility, Davis said.
“We can’t get caught guessing,” the coach said. “We have to be ready to play our assignments in the open field whether it’s the quarterback or the pitch man. We have to make sure we wrap up and make the tackle.”
Davis said it should be a good “football atmosphere” at the game this Friday.
“We want to make sure we are ready to try and match them,” the Wildcat coach said. “We are going to try and win this. There won’t be any holding back on our part.”
Football fans no doubt have heard of scenarios where teams, especially in the NFL, may rest front line players if a playoff spot has already been secured. Don’t look for that when Apalachee takes the field this week.
“It’s tough in high school to do that,” Davis said. “If we had some guys banged up then we would consider it (resting them). However, it’s a question of where do you draw the line. If you sit all your starters then you are using basically a junior varsity. Is that really fair?”
Davis said he and his coaching staff did talk about the scenario over the weekend, but “not for long.”
“It’s different in college or the pros where you can just roll guys in there,” the coach said. “Our younger guys, many of them, aren’t ready physically to go in there against a front line varsity team.”
In addition, with the team being 9-0, Davis doesn’t want them to experience a loss now.
“You don’t want to get that taste in your mouth,” he said. “If they beat us, that’s one thing. However, we are too close to an undefeated season.
