SHS ready for 2nd round

Tigers face Bayside Academy’s running offense tonight

By Andrew Garner (Contact) | Andalusia Star-News

Published Thursday, November 12, 2009

Straughn coach Trent Taylor said Wednesday that he knows “what is at stake” as the Tigers host Bayside Academy tonight in the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs.

Straughn is facing a tough Admiral offense that includes running backs Thomas Buchanan and Ryan Owens, who helped their team to cruise to a 27-0 regular-season victory over Straughn on Sept. 18 in Mobile.

Straughn coach Trent Taylor said his Tigers are now stronger and “better.”

“I think we’re better, and we’re different from a scheme standpoint,” Taylor said. “Bayside has a good football team. They are very well-coached; they run a wing-T offense and do it about as well as anybody.”

The Tigers are currently on a six-game winning streak, with five of those victories coming at home. Straughn defeated Geneva, 35-19, in the first round last week, piling up 428 yards on offense. The last time Straughn made it this far in the playoffs was in 2004, when the Tigers lost in the second round to an Oneonta team that went on to win the Class 3A title.

Bayside Academy’s balanced offense helped lead the Admirals to a 27-14 victory over Daleville last week.

“I know they threw for over 200 yards last week,” Taylor said. “They do both the running game and passing game very well.

“Last week against Daleville, they put a lot of folks on the line of scrimmage to take away the run and locked up man-to-man with them on defense,” he said. “They’re not one dimensional; they are very two-dimensional.”

When Straughn (8-3) played Bayside (7-4) earlier this season, the Tigers turned the ball over four times.

“We were new to the option we were running, and anytime you run (the option) the ball is going to go on the ground sometimes,” Taylor said. “Obviously we’ve done a better job of it since week five.”

Straughn’s Caleb Cochran sprained his ankle against Geneva, but Taylor said he is in good shape to play tonight.

“He’s been at practice and will be ready for the game (tonight),” he said.

Even with the rain from Tropical Storm Ida earlier in the week, Taylor said practice has gone well.

“Obviously it was a hindrance on Monday,” Taylor said. “We didn’t do much running there. Tuesday, we were sloshing through it in the rain.

“Your throwing and kicking game, you just can’t do them in the rain,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we went (Wednesday) afternoon instead of in the morning so the field could dry.”

The forecast for tonight calls for clear skies with a low around 58 degrees.

Tickets to tonight’s game cost $7. Advance tickets can be picked up at the school today starting at 8 a.m., and kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The victor of tonight’s game will face the winner of the T.R. Miller-Luverne game in the quarterfinals next Friday night. Straughn defeated both teams during the regular season.