The Braselton news. (Jefferson, Ga) 2006-current, October 10, 2007, Image 16

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    The Braselton News
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Page 4B
JCCHS Football
Panthers hope to shock sub-region leader Clarke Central
SACKING THE SIGNAL-CALLER
Jackson County’s Ryan Howe pressures the quarterback during his team’s last game on Sept. 28
against Dacula. The Panthers travel to Clarke Central this Friday night following last week’s bye.
Photo by Allen Luton
BY ALLEN LUTON
If Billy Kirk sounds like a bro
ken record, forgive the first-year
Jackson County head coach, he’s
only trying to be honest.
As has been the case through
out much of the 2007 season,
Kirk’s Panthers will be facing
a team with a talent and depth
advantage on Friday night. But
he still thinks his squad is
capable of knocking that
opponent off.
Jackson County (0-5,
0-2 in Region 8-A-
AAAA) will travel to
Athens to face the first
place team in its subre
gion, Clarke Central, on
Friday night.
The Gladiators (4-1-1,
3-0) head into the meeting on the
heels of an impressive 28-21 vic
tory over a Dacula team that Kirk
considers the best his squad will
see this entire season.
Facing an athletic squad full
of weapons, Jackson County
will have to play a near perfect
game if it hopes to upset Clarke
Central. The Gladiators clearly
have more depth, athletic ability
and talent across the board, but
JCCHS may be able work some
magic if it plays well together as
a unit.
But according to Kirk, his team
is familiar with being an underdog
and the coach would like nothing
more than for the Gladiators to
look past his squad.
“There’s not a game that we’ve
played that going into it I didn’t
think we could win,” Kirk said.
“And Clarke Central, they’re a
great football team, we don’t
match up with them athlete for
athlete, but I really believe we’ve
seen some things on fdm. We
have an opportunity to have them
overlook us. It’s homecoming
season and everybody plays
Jackson County on their home
coming, which is fine, because
I think we’re going to surprise
some people.”
The Panthers, who had a bye
last week, last played on Sept.
28 at home against Dacula.
Turnovers plagued JCCHS on
the night as the Falcons rolled to
a 33-0 win. Kirk said that despite
falling to Clarke Central
last week, he still thinks
Dacula is the best team in
the region.
According to the
Jackson County coach,
his team was worn down
physically following that
loss and the bye week
came at a good time.
“It did from a health
standpoint. But I’ve warned our
kids about the old demon. We
don’t want to come out and read
in the paper (next week) that
our kids came off of a bye week
and were flat. And I think we’ve
been pretty crisp (in practice this
week).”
Clarke Central is led on offense
by tailback Darrieon Robinson,
a speedy player who rushed for
over 1,400 yard last season. In
last week’s big win over Dacula,
the senior had 194 yards on 18
carries with two touchdowns.
Kirk said that if his squad hopes
to have a shot at slowing down
the Gladiators, clearly it all
starts with containing the elusive
Robinson.
“They’ve got a great tailback
and obviously we want to try
and stop him, and we’re going to
play all out on defense and try to
limit him.”
The Gladiators, who are off to
their best start in four years, run
a multiple I-formation on offense
and a base 3-4 on defense.
With Clarke Central coming
into Friday night’s game on the
heels of arguably its biggest
win of the season, and Jackson
County having had two weeks
to prepare for the contest, Kirk
said he’s hoping his squad will
be well prepared and hopefully
catch the Glads a bit off guard.
“We’ve had a good two weeks.
I think our kids are itching for
some more contact with another
team,” the coach said.
“We don’t match up anywhere
on the field with them. Not offen
sively, not defensively, not on
special teams. We don’t match
up anywhere. They are better
athletes, they’ve got more speed,
they’re more physical. So, we’re
going to have to be on our toes
and play perfect football to even
step on the field with them.”
Through the first three region
games this season Jackson
County has struggled offensively,
averaging just 89 yards of total
offense per contest, 2.6 turnovers
and 2.4 yards per rush. In addi
tion, the Panthers have managed
just one offensive touchdown this
season.
But, despite those struggles,
Kirk said he’s optimistic about
his squad’s chances of moving
the ball on Friday night. He said
he thinks his squad will have an
opportunity to run the football
some against the Gladiators, as
well as make some plays in the
short passing game. The Panthers
may also come out in a few sur
prise formations.
“Offensively, I think we’ve got
a great game plan going in,” the
coach said. “We saw some things
on film that we think we can
manipulate and do some stuff
with, it’s just a matter of us doing
it.”
Turnovers have been a big
problem for the JCCHS offense
all season long and that’s an
area that the Panthers desper
ately need to improve in. They’ve
turned it over eight times in three
region games this season.
“We’re our own worst enemy,”
Kirk said. “If we can eliminate
that stuff, and that’s what we’ve
tried to do the last two weeks,
that’ll be big.”
With a defense that has at times
been stout this year, not giving
the Gladiators a short field could
be a big key this week.
“I keep telling my kids that
if you keep digging, eventually
you’re going to hit gold. And
when we do, it’s going to be ugly
for somebody and I’m hoping it’s
going to be Clarke Central.”
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