It certainly doesn’t get any easier from week to week in Region 8-AAAAA.
The Apalachee High School football team can attest to that. After facing Top 10 foe Gainesville last week, the Wildcats welcome perennial power Clarke Central for a rare Thursday night game at 7:30 p.m. WSB TV will spotlight the AHS campus and football program as its Game of the Week broadcast Thursday.
“I’m old school and always want our players to be creatures of habit,” Wildcat coach Shane Davis said of the different play day. “I’m not one for change, but in the end of the day this will be good for our program, our school and our region. It puts us in the spotlight for a night. It’s hard to say ‘no’ to something like this when you look at the big picture.”
On the field, Davis said he knows the Gladiators will be formidable as always.
“They will be as big up front as anyone we play all year,” Davis said.
Once again the AHS defense will be put to the test against the Gladiators.
“Things don’t get any easier this week,” said Wildcat defensive coordinator Matt Sorrells. “Although we brought the guys in Sunday for a little while, we will have to be more basic in our approach than normal due to the Thursday game. Clarke Central doesn’t run lots of different plays, but they run their plays out of many different formations. We will have to communicate well to get lined up to everything correctly.”
The Gladiators are typically tough defensively as well. AHS offensive coordinator Joel Miller has less time to prepare this week than normal.
This year’s Clarke team is typical of all their teams in the past,” Miller said. “They are well coached, big and fast. Their size up front and speed from their linebackers and secondary will be something that we have to adjust to. Hopefully we can find ways to move the ball and not get overwhelmed like we did last week against Gainesville.”
From week to week, Region 8-AAAAA is as tough as any in the state, something Miller knows all too well.
“It doesn’t get easier in this region,” Miller said. “Every week is another good team, so we better be ready to play. A Thursday night does change game week preparations. We worked a little longer on Saturday and Sunday as coaches, and we even brought the players in Sunday afternoon which is something we usually do not do.”
AHS coaches said the mental and physical approach and preparation to this week will also be important.
“It just affects everything,” Miller said. “Even our freshman and JV games had to be moved to Wednesday night. It does make for a long weekend for us as coaches, but it’s all worth it. Our kids get a chance to play on TV for most of them the first time and possibly the last. Hopefully the game will be one they will remember and have peasant thoughts about for years to come.”
