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HOUSTON COUNTY FOOTBALL 2007
NORTHSIDE
From page 6
A lot of guys are really doing
well. But everybody has a role to
play and needs to be ready to as
sume that role.”
Nix made those statements early
in the week of Aug. 20, right after
a scrimmage with Perry High. This
was another week of record heat in
August with indexes reaching 115
degrees. It’s conditions that can
take away a lot of that zip and glit
ter, even for an elite football pro
gram.
Nix said, however, he is proud of
his players for getting through the
hot weather without any serious
health problems.
“That shows our guys are in good
shape,” he said. “Obviously you
can’t get complacent. You have to
continue to hydrate and make sure
you take care of yourself eating
and nutrition. Obviously it affects
you mentally, drains you a little bit,
but it’s something we have to push
through and keep getting better.”
But what about all that talent Nix
and his staff have to work with day
after day? Is it getting better with
each passing year? Even Northside
has its concerns, because Nix said
even here everyone has to perform
at the same level or there will be
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problems.
“You’re always concerned about
consistency,” he said. “Everybody’s
doing good, but one or two guys
make a mistake. That affects the
whole thing. You might do that
once every four or five plays, but
when you do it every play, it affects
you tremendously”
That’s the kind of bug the Eagle
staff has been working to correct
this month. Nix said the Eagles
need to keep a consistent focus in
a case where they have one unit on
the field 12 to 15 plays in a row.
The Northside offense is one
that can be on the field a long
time. Last year it was a young of
fense with few exceptions like se
niors Jacobi Rodriguez and Brent
Moore.
But even with it now being a
veteran core group, Nix said they
are not immune to the mistake
here and there, especially from
guys whom they need to make big
plays.
“They have plenty of experience
and a lot of playing time,” he said.
“Obviously they haven’t had this
critical a role in the past. They
were maybe starters, but with a
lesser role as a starter. Now it’s
their turn to be those big-time
players, and they haven’t assumed
that role yet.”
Nix doesn’t have many worries,
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though, about his senior quarter
back Marques Ivory. Nix said this
is a year where Ivory, without Ro
driques there as a reliable backup,
needs to be hungry along with his
usual sharpness and knowledge of
the game.
“He can’t take things for grant
ed,” he said. “A lot of times people
who are sharp let things slip up on
them where they weren’t quite as
focused, where it wasn’t exactly
like they saw it.”
There are no concerns about
running back, where Tijuan Green
achieved star status with 1,000
yards rushing in the playoffs alone.
Nix said both Green and Xavier
Hawkins have had great practices
so far. Green was particularly dan
gerous running out of a shotgun
spread, a formation Nix said fans
will see again this year along with
two-back sets. It will all depend, he
said, on what the Eagles show they
do best in the early going.
Ivory’s targets at receiver look to
be loaded with touchdown poten
tial led by three-year starters Nick
Bass and Kevyn Cooper. Nix said
there’s no reason that these two,
big parts of the 29-1 record the
past two years, can’t be a dominat
ing force.
“Jerome Bibbins is an outstand
ing player,” said Nix about just
one of his many prospects on the
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offensive line. “I hope he’ll have
the kind of year we’re expecting
of him. He has high expectations
also. I believe all of our offensive
line will have a good year.”
Guard Vashawn Oats and center
Jordan Dooley give Nix two more
seniors up front. And there’s Will
Zunino, a senior tackle who lost
most of his junior year due to in
jury Nix said he’s held up well to
the rigors of the heat and doing a
fine job.
“We have three or four guys we
are working really hard (at tight
end),” said Nix about a spot that
also picks up several years in the
offense. “Hopefully they’ll take up
some of the slack left with Brent’s
graduation.”
The Eagle offense averaged 35
points a game last year, and Ivory
passed for more than 1,800 yards
with 27 touchdowns. For Nix, this
year won’t be so much a matter of
improving on those numbers, but
maintaining that pace.
“I hope we can maintain. We
were pretty good last year in a lot
of areas,” he said. “Hopefully we’re
a little bit better on the offensive
line, places where we have guys
who’ve played there before. But
they have to do the job. Hopefully
we can get back to the level we
were last year.
“A lot of it will depend on execu-
W »V«A«MOV»l
100 HAMPTON COURT
PERRY, GA 31069
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tion of little things. Against Perry
we had a lot of penalties, most on
the defensive side. Ball security is
always a major issue and make sure
everybody knows what to do.”
Northside’s best experience and
overall leadership last year came
from its defense, a unit that only
allowed 110 points. So this year, it
looks to be a bit of the opposite
with the least amount of experi
ence (four starters back) and lead
ership potential.
“The big concern is the defen
sive backs,” said Nix. “We lost all
four of those guys. Not only were
they starters and pretty big play
ers. They looked good in uniform,
but they were great kids, too. I
really miss them. We have some
guys who will have to step up. Our
expectations don’t change. We
coach them hard. Coach (Kevin)
Kinsler’s worked hard with them.
I hope they’re ready to accept the
responsibility.”
The secondary is missing Ma
rio Armstrong and Mitchell Bell
among others, and at linebacker,
gone is Deonta Jordan and Isaac
Wilson.
“You don’t replace those guys,”
said Nix. “But you have some guys
who hopefully their ability as a unit
will compensate for some of that.
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