While another Region 8-AAAA title is out of reach, there is still a great deal on the line for the Apalachee High School football in 2010.
The Wildcats, should they win their three final regular season games, would be the No. 3 seed for the postseason. That task begins this week when AHS travels to Cedar Shoals for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday.
“Once you win region, you want to continue to do that,” said Wildcat head coach Shane Davis. “For us this year, that opportunity is gone. However, we do have plenty to play for and we have to stay focused on the next game at hand.”
While Cedar Shoals limps into this week’s contest 1-6, Davis said the Jaguars will always be a formidable foe.
“When you look at them on film, you can’t believe they have won only one game,” Davis said. “We can’t overlook anyone. Cedar Shoals has several great athletes.”
The Jaguars have been involved in some close games this fall but have just missed adding several more wins to their total. Three of the setbacks came to Rockdale County (3-0), Heritage (13-6) and Salem (24-21). The only one-sided defeats came against Clarke Central (41-12) and Flowery Branch (50-15), the two top teams in 8-AAAA. Offensively, Davis said this week’s opponent operates out of a Wing-T formation but uses some shotgun formation with one or two backs.
“They give you a great deal to prepare for,” the head coach said.
Another cause of concern for Davis is the fact his team has not played well on the road. Both losses this season were away contests and AHS did not play well in the first half against Madison County on the road.
“Our two losses were on the road and in our other road game, we didn’t play well at all in the first half,” Davis said. “You’ve got to be able to compete and play well away from home.”
In formulating a game plan for Cedar Shoals, AHS offensive coordinator Joel Miller sees a strong opponent this week.
“As always they are very good on defense,” Miller said. “They will base out of the 3-5. They are big, fast and very physical. They are good against the run and they do a great job of putting pressure on the quarterback in passing situations.”
Being able to stay with what the Wildcats’ strengths are offensively is also a must, the offensive coordinator said.
“We really need to avoid obvious passing situations and use of play action passing game to our advantage,” Miller said. “To do this we must establish a consistent running game early and try to keep momentum on our side.”
Davis also stresses the importance of finish third rather than fourth.
“It does make a difference because it keeps you from meeting a No. 1 from another region right off,” the head coach said. “Of course, the goal is to simply get in. Once you do that, anything can happen.”
Health-wise the AHS football team is OK at this point of the season.
“We just have to pick up our pride a little,” Davis said. “Playing well this Friday should help us in that area, no doubt.”
•The Game: Apalachee (5-2) at Cedar Shoals (1-6) Friday, 7:30 p.m., in Athens, broadcast live on WIMO Radio (AM 1300) website
•Last Week: AHS lost to Clarke Central 42-21; Cedar Shoals lost to Salem 24-21
•Key Players: AHS: QB Clint Ashe, RB Stanley Williams, RB Zay Henry, FB Alex Camp, OL Shaun Hill, OL Tim Simonton, OL Nate Holton, K/P Guy Hunt, OL Cole Shook; Cedar Shoals: RB Adrian Washington
•Game Notes: The Apalachee Wildcats will look to win their final three regular season games to earn the No. 3 seed from Region 8-AAAA for the state playoffs. Cedar Shoals has played several foes close this season despite entering Friday with just one win. AHS coach Shane Davis said his team needs to play better on the road.
