By Matthew Watkins, Sports Correspondent
Fresh off of a thrilling 35-28 victory over White Plains (Class 4A, Region 6), Hokes Bluff is set for a pivotal homecoming-week showdown against the undefeated Anniston Bulldogs.
Against White Plains, it was truly the Bryce Whitaker show. Whitaker racked up 246 yards on the ground to go along with his four rushing touchdowns. Whitaker now has 541 rushing yards through three games, and ten rushing touchdowns.
It was a bit of a rocky game for the Eagles defensively, but it seemed like Whitaker was able to get them out of any jam they found themselves in all night. For Anniston, however, it will require much more of a balanced, team-wide effort.
Anniston is 3-0 on the year and 2-0 in region play. The unbeaten Bulldogs have a wide variety of talent at their disposal, with none more impactful than their senior quarterback, Damon “DJ” Pope. Against Alexandria, Pope tallied 191 all-purpose yards. Pope will have to be a top priority for the Eagles’ defense if they want to help hand the Bulldogs a loss similar to last year’s 37-18 win at Anniston. The Bulldogs have also been aided on offense by senior receiver Jakorie Carr, and senior tailback Jabari Williams.
If ever there was a week where time of possession (TOP) was a factor, it would be this one. Anniston’s high-powered offense will need to be corralled, and the best way to do that is to not allow them to have the ball. With the Eagles still recovering from the loss of senior defensive back and leading tackler (at the time of injury) Drew McCarver, it will be interesting to see if they are able to mitigate Anniston’s offensive output.
The best way to control TOP is to do what Mike Robertson-led Hokes Bluff teams do best: establish the power running game. Whitaker and junior tailback Brenton Hale must take care of the football and chain together physical runs in order to wear down Anniston’s front line. This may also be a game where Whitaker will need to use his arm a bit more in order to keep the defense honest. Up to this point, Whitaker’s legs have been the most dangerous weapon at Hokes Bluff’s disposal.
If the Eagles are able to keep this game to within one-possession into the fourth quarter, they might just be able to capitalize on some homecoming-week magic in order to remain undefeated in Class 4A, Region 6.
