Pinehurst —
PINEHURST — Smarting at the moment from its unexpected 0-2 start, Fullington Academy will be out to turn things around Friday night when it visits an opponent over whom it owns a 2-0 series edge.
Coach Ken Fowler and his Trojans are hoping Griffin Christian’s Crusaders will prove to be just the “medicine” they need to get untracked for the remainder of the 2010 season.
“Obviously, our season hasn’t started out as we had hoped it would, but at the same time our goals are still in front of us as we’ve yet to play a region game,” Fowler said. “Right now, a win of any kind would be welcomed and hopefully this will be the week we finally get one.”
Fullington, which easily defeated Griffin Christian 26-8 in 2008 and struggled to a 13-7 triumph in 2009, can likely expect another nail-biter in this the third meeting between the schools.
The Crusaders, you see, check into this year’s contest with a 1-1 report card compiled by a two-touchdown win over Flint River and a loss to Piedmont by a similar margin.
“I’ve seen films of their two games to date and it appears they’re still basically using the same schemes they’ve employed the last couple of seasons,” Fowler said. “They’re just executing them better. That’s understandable now that their grid program is getting a little age on it.”
Attacking from a pro-I formation, the Crusaders base their offensive scheme around star running back Trey Lewis who, according to Fowler, “has a lot of speed and is very difficult to tackle.
“He’s the main cog — the guys who makes the wheel turn, so to speak. With everything they do seemingly going through him, we can expect to see him carrying the football on at least 50 percent of their plays.”
Lewis also stands out from his safety position on defense where the Crusaders employ aggressive 4-4 and five-man fronts that to date have helped them keep opposing runners in check for the most part.
“They do a good job of stopping the run and through a good bit of stunting and blitzing pretty much dictate what its opponent does,” Fowler said.
As for keys to the Trojans’ chances for victory, Fowler said the primary one is to limit what Lewis does when he’s lined up in the offensive backfield.
“Then when we’re in possession of the football, we need to control the line of scrimmage. If we can do these two things, I feel like we have a good chance to come out on top.
“It’s going to be imperative, though, that we put four solid quarters together. Playing well for a series or two and then struggling as we’ve done to date hasn’t gotten the job done.”
Except for possible starting line-up switches mandated by injuries such as those suffered by linebacker Bruce Hutchinson, wide receiver Josh Jones and running back Caleb Malone, the Trojans will go with their usual regulars.
“Our problem to date hasn’t been about personnel and their placement; it’s been about execution,” Fowler said. “When that part of our game comes around, I believe we’re going to be alright.”
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