Henderson Trojans ready for interclass matchup with Northview
Published 9:40 pm Thursday, October 30, 2008
The game may mean nothing as far as the playoffs are concerned, but don’t tell that to Charles Henderson head coach Hugh Fountain.
Fountain believes every game on the schedule counts and this week’s contest against the Northview Cougars is no different.
“They are a typical 6A team,” Fountain said. “They have good athletes all over the field and this will be a big challenge for us. It is good for us to play these tough games right before the playoffs. I definitely think games against teams in higher classifications make you better.”
But Fountain said the Trojans (6-3) don’t want to lose a little thing called momentum with a loss this week.
“We want to continue on the track we are on right now,” Fountain said. “We have a three-game win streak going and we would much rather have a 7-3 regular season than a 6-4 regular season. But more than anything, we want to keep our momentum going. A win gives any team confidence.”
The atmosphere around practice has been loose, but competitive at the same time, according to Fountain.
“It has been a great week of practice,” he said. “I just hope that translates into the game tomorrow night. The guys seem really focused and the leadership is there at practice.”
Another positive for the Trojans is the health of the team as a whole.
“We are probably as healthy now as we have been all year,” Fountain said.
Being healthy against a stacked Northview team that has gone 4-5 this year, but lost to an undefeated 9-0 Auburn team, a 7-2 Opelika team and 6-3 Enterprise and Smiths Station.
Fountain said the way to stop Northview is to shut down quarterback Brandon Chitty.
“He is a top prospect around the SEC and he is an athlete at 6-foot-3-inches and 185 pounds with 4.5 speed,” Fountain said. “We saw him in the spring game this year and the offense definitely centers around him.”
But Fountain said the Cougars also have a wide receiver and two running backs that could hurt the Trojans if allowed to break into the open field.
The Trojans and Cougars scheduled start is set for 7 p.m. from Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium.