The old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,”

Rewind nearly one year ago, however, and the Goshen Eagles attempted to tinker with a new offensive game plan.

The Eagles underwent a change in offensive strategy and philosophy under offensive coordinator Ed Rigby. Goshen, long associated with a grind-it-out, run-based offensive system, moved to the high-flying, pass-happy spread scheme early in the 2012 season.

The yards and wins didn’t come as often as coaches had hoped, and the system was soon scraped in favor of the double wing T. The Eagles picked up enough wins down the stretch to make the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

In 2013, Goshen head coach Bart Snyder and company have taken the old saying to heart, and stayed true to their traditional “Goshen type of football.”

“Our kids our relaxed with the type of offense we run and the style of football we play,” said Snyder. “The players know what we do, and are familiar with it. We feel like if we can get them comfortable on the field, then we can be even more successful than we were last season.”

The offense sputtered out of the gate last season, averaging just 12 points per game through the first three weeks of the season, all of which resulted in losses. After the switch was made, however, the points, yards and wins increased. Through the final four games of the regular season, all wins, the Eagles averaged 41 points per game.

Snyder feels that the Eagles can continue that trend in 2013.

“We played really well late last season,” Snyder said. “We had a really good spring and summer, and the kids know what to expect scheme-wise this year. We have a good group of kids that show up every day ready to work hard and give it all they got. We keep working, and things will go well for us I believe.

Snyder has been associated with Goshen football for the past 25 seasons as coach, the last four as head coach. He says through the years the Eagles have always tried to do two things well, run the football and stop other teams from running the football.

That will not change in 2013.

“It is our focus every year, but especially this season,” Snyder said. “Coach Michael Wilcoxin and the defensive staff is doing a great job making sure we have everything installed and ready to go. We are working some personnel in to different places, which is what you do in week one.”

Goshen will meet defending 1A state champion Brantley in a pre-season scrimmage on Friday Aug. 30 at the Eagles Nest.

The Eagles will hit the road to open the regular season, traveling to Brundidge to meet cross-county rival Pike County at Bulldogs Stadium.

Kickoff for both games is set for 7 p.m.