(Podcast: Listen to Coach Essary talk about last week’s loss to Fairfield and the upcoming game against Red Oak above.)
By Michael V. Hannigan/HCN
The Athens Hornets will hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Red Oak to take on the Hawks Friday night.
Both teams are 1-1 to start the season.
The Hawks will provide a good challenge for the Hornets.
“Red Oak is a good football team; well coached,” said Athens Head Coach Paul Essary.
Essary said Red Oak will be the biggest team the Hornets have seen so far this season.
“The play hard and the execute well,” Essary said.
The Hawks like to run the ball and stopping that will be a key for the Hornets.
“We’re going to have to be physical on the defensive side,” Essary said. “On the offensive side we’re going to have to stay on our blocks and execute. We’re going to have to start catching the football a little bit better, and we’re working on that.”
The Hawks are a Class 5A school, so they have a bigger student population, but that doesn’t worry Athens.
“They’re going to dress out 50 to 60 players on the sideline. They’re twice the size school we are,” said Essary. “But that’s OK, you only put 11 out on the field at a time. It doesn’t matter how many are on the sideline.”
“We’re going to line up and get after it,” he said.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday in Red Oak.