Sweet Water faces St. Jude on road for playoffs second round

Published 12:00 am Thursday, November 15, 2007

MONTGOMERY &8212; Just as they have done all season, the Sweet Water Bulldogs tore their way past their first round state playoff opponent, Providence Christian, 68-7, barely breaking stride.

This week the Bulldogs are eying a second round game against the St. Jude Pirates at a less than neutral site at Montgomery Christian High School. With the exception of games against region opponents Wadley (60-18) and Maplesville (45-12), the Pirates have dominated opponents this season, and Sweet Water coach Stacy Luker respects the team&8217;s abilities.

Luker said the spread offense the group runs is the main catalyst in the team&8217;s big play performances. He said with the team&8217;s talent, which creates mismatches at several positions, the group can get opposing defenses off their game and second guessing themselves.

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Luker said the shotgun formation the Pirates run out of won&8217;t effect his team&8217;s ability to disrupt the quarterback, though, as the team will still blitz. And much like his defense, Luker expects St. Jude to exude physical play at the line of scrimmage.

Luker said his offense should be prepared to handle any onslaught thrown at them, as most have started or seen playing time for the past two years and some have even seen three. He said the group prides themselves in their abilities and should be able to maintain blocks.

The final challenge for the Sweet Water team is the fact that they are heading on the road to this week&8217;s game. The group has to prove that last week&8217;s work wasn&8217;t home field advantage, and Luker said he isn&8217;t too worried about the trip.