WINNFIELD – The only thing standing in between the Winnfield High football team and a 3-0 record is rival Jonesboro-Hodge.
But the visiting Tigers could say the same thing about Winnfield as both teams enter Friday’s contest 2-0.
Second-year coach Byron Keller said he can’t wait for the electric atmosphere.
“It will be great Friday night with both teams coming in undefeated,” Keller said. “Hodge is extremely athletic as always and can hurt you with big, explosive plays.
“We have to minimize the big play and win all three phases of the game to be successful.”
There’s one phase in particular in which Winnfield has excelled.
The Tigers struggled mightily on defense this past season, but under new defensive coordinator Scott Green, Winnfield has allowed a combined eight points in wins over Glenbrook (20-8) and Arcadia (40-0).
“Coach Scott Green has installed a defensive plan that allows our players to play fast and physical,” Keller said. “Keep everything simple and play fast, and we are reaping the benefits of it.
“We are getting close to having one-way players that allow us to stay fresh and provide opportunities for our younger players to gain quality playing time in the future.”
Both teams have healthy roster sizes for their respective classifications – Class 1A Jonesboro lists 39 players on its roster while Class 2A Winnfield carries 46 players.
And they’ve benefited from those advantages against their opponents.
J-Hodge outlasted Lakeside 14-8 before blasting Delhi Charter 50-8.
Winnfield has won the past two meetings with J-Hodge, including a 28-6 victory to open the Keller era this past season.
If the home Tigers are to make it three-in-a-row, controlling the ball via the ground game will be a key.
Winnfield’s offense took off this past week against Arcadia with a healthy backfield.
“It’s the first time this season we had our complete backfield,” Keller said. “The offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage and made the running backs job easy.”
“We had a very physical fall camp, which led to bumps, bruises, and some injuries. Now our running backs and receivers are 100 percent, and the younger players that stepped up during their absences are getting with those quality reps.”