COACH'S FORUM
COACH'S FORUM
Bradford County
By COACH STEVE HOARD
This past Friday we played a very tough and well coached football team in Baker County. Coach Johns and his staff had the Wildcats well prepared as they beat us in almost every phase of the game.
I felt before the game that our matchup would be a tough one just based on player strength alone. When you add the solid coaching job they do the Cats are a formidable opponent. Our players are not at the same strength level at this time but we will get there in the future.
Shortcuts may help us with one season but not in building a program that our fans can be proud of. Our players have been working hard and will continue to develop in our weight room under the guidance of Strength Coach Steve Reynolds and the rest of our staff.
Before the game I talked to Coach Johns and he mentioned to me that the rivalry has lost some of it's luster since the two schools have stopped playing one another a couple of times during the past few years. At BHS we didn't even have a pep rally for the Cats. If we could have only one a year it needs to be for our biggest rival.
The Tornadoes need to win more often to bring the rivalry back to the way it used to be. We have come out on the short end three years in a row. All it would take to rekindle the flame is to beat the Cats.
The series has gone the way of the Florida-Georgia game. Florida had been on top for so long the younger fans considered other teams as more important rivals. All it took was last year's Gator loss and look who is back at the top of the fans and players pay back list.
We will work hard to do our part to rekindle the rivalry, but we do have a long way to go at this point of the journey.
As far as last Friday's game goes, I was disappointed in the outcome to put it mildly. We have to get better as coaches and players. The biggest positive was our players continued to battle until the clock expired. We are taking baby steps with this young team. They have been and continue to be a great bunch to coach.
One major concern we have is the loss of our only three year starter, Terrence Slocum a tough defensive lineman. Terrence may be lost for the year with a leg injury. Please keep him in your prayers.
I would like to thank Coach Johns and his staff as well as the Baker County chain crew for the kind words of encouragement. Good luck with the rest of your season.
GO TORNADOES !
Baldwin Indians
By COACH ANDY GIDDENS
To summarize last week's game against Mayo, you can say that we were taken out behind the woodshed for a good ‘ole beat down. We were out-athleted, out-played, and out-coached by the entire Lafayette program. We found out what it meant to be a championship caliber football team, and we learned what we have to do to become that type of team. A hard-learned lesson taught to us by the #4 ranked team in the state of Florida. When the game was over, the score
read Hornets - 46……Indians - 0.
After the game, I told our kids the measure of a man and a team was determined by how well they got back up after being knocked down. To get back up this week, means facing a Fernandina Beach football team that comes off an 8 and 2 record and playoff appearance from last year.
Fernandina Beach is without a doubt one of the most improved teams in our area over the last few years. Coach Brown does a great job with his kids and I am sure this week they will be ready for their trip over to our place Friday night.
This game is our last tune-up before district play starts the following week. Our team still has all the goals set forth from the beginning of the year right out there in front of them. To accomplish these goals, we must come together and work together as a FAMILY would. This loss was just one game, we still have eight more yet to play and soon, very soon, we will be back in the win column.
Go Indians!
