By Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

After quickly coming to terms with the loss to North Oconee last week, Head Coach Bill Malone shifted his focus and attention on this week’s task at hand – taking on the Elbert County Blue Devils this Friday.
“We’re running a gauntlet here with these two teams back to back,” said Malone. “Elbert is going to provide a magnificent physical challenge to our boys.”
Despite the great challenge, Coach Malone sees this game as an opportunity to come together as a team that believes in itself.
“Once again, we’re going to be undersized, but that just means that we’re going to have to rely on one another more as teammates. And we need to dig down deep in our hearts and continue with the will to win that we displayed this past Friday night and see if we’re not able to go out there and execute a little bit better on both sides of the ball. If we’re able to do that, I like our chances against Elbert.”
The Bulldogs will have to stay on their toes against Elbert on both sides of the ball.
“Elbert’s quarterback is a freshman, and he is going to be the fastest, most slippery quarterback that we’ve seen this year. Their running back has already committed to Clemson, is about 6’1”, 220 pounds, …and can fly.”
“We have got to hem both of those guys up and do our best to keep them from getting started. Because, once they get started, they are phenomenal threats.”
But Malone thinks that it will be possible to stop them.
“If we are able to play smart, we’ll be in good shape.”
The size of Elbert’s defensive line will be a problem of its own.
“The overall size of Elbert’s defensive line is going to be something that we haven’t encountered this year. We won’t encounter it again. They are gigantic kids and they are extremely physical.”
“It’s going to be one of those game where, when it’s over, the kids on both teams will know they just played a game.”
In spite of the challenges this week and in the coming weeks, Malone feels good about the team and the direction in which it is headed this season.
“We are in as good of a position that we can be in right now to win the rest of our games.”
“If we can all stay healthy, then we’ve got a shot. That’s my one wish from a coach’s standpoint, that we all stay healthy.”

Printed in the October 11, 2012