Final preparations

Published 9:33 pm Wednesday, August 18, 2010

With the regular season just a handful of days away, teams have been putting in extra time to figure out what last minute kinks need to be fixed.

One of the easiest ways to accomplish that task is to play in an exhibition game, which is exactly what the Goshen Eagles will be doing on Friday evening.

The team will hit the road to Ariton, where it will take on the Purple Cats in the first and only tune up game before the regular season starts on Aug. 27.

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And with the season so close, head coach Bart Snyder said there are several areas he would like to see his team excel during the exhibition.

“I think we are ahead of where we were at this time,” the coach said. “And that is always a good thing to see going into the season.

“But (for Friday’s game) I am looking for us to execute our drills better and make sure we do everything that we need to do correctly.”

The exhibition will give the Eagles’ coaching staff a good look at one of their biggest concerns going into the season – the offensive line.

“We got a young line, but they have all worked hard and come a long way,” Snyder said.

Another big part of the GHS offensive attach, junior running back Reginald Foster, will not participate in the game due to injury.

Despite the injury, one of the biggest factors going for the Eagles is how many players are returning from 2009.

“We are running the same kind of system we ran last year,” Snyder said.

“So both the coaching staff and the players are very familiar with what’s going on.

“And because of that, I think this team has great leadership,” the coach added. “A lot of players have stepped up or us this so far.”

The team that will be playing host to the Eagles on Friday, will be looking to get their season started off in a good way.

The Purple Cats finished 2009 with a 3-7 overall record in Class 1A Region 2.

“We know we are going to be test (on Friday),” Snyder said.

“This week we have been going over basic stuff to get ready. We want to have the right players in the right positions.

“The main objective is to get our players some experience on the field and also to make sure they are comfortable in what they are doing,” he added.

The Eagles and the Purple Cats will battle it out in Ariton, Friday night at 7 p.m.