Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
On a rainy day of practice last week for the Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowboys, Head Coach Mike Coe told his players, “All of our goals for the season are still ahead of us, except for an undefeated season; and what does that matter? This week, we will find out just what kind of football team we have. We are going to be playing a good football team and this will be a good gauge for us.”
The Cowboys have had good practices since the Valdosta game on Friday, Aug. 27, and should be up to near full strength now that most of the Athletic Association sanctions are finally in the past. For that reason alone, this week's game against the Fighting Christians of University Christian High School will be a telling barometer of what to expect from the Cowboys moving forward. University Christian has consistently been a tough team, especially when they play the Cowboys. This year will likely not be any different. The Fighting Christians have an undefeated season so far and have a very good football team. The Fighting Christians have a very big offensive line that helps open holes for a pair of good running backs who have both averaged over 100 yards rushing per game this season. Junior Orel Gray already has six rushing touchdowns to his credit this season and is averaging 124 yards per game on the ground. The other talented part of the Fighting Christians' running back tandem is sophomore Alan Woods, who has 217 rushing yards on 42 carries this season. The Cowboys' defense will have to be very disciplined in order to keep running lanes closed and shut down the strong University Christian rushing attack. Defensively, the Fighting Christians are an aggressive bunch who like to go after the ball. They have a plus-two turnover margin so far this season.
“University Christian is a very well coached, physical football team,” said Coach Coe. “Their history speaks for itself and it will be a great challenge for us playing against them in that environment. We have had a great two weeks of practice.”
The Cowboys face off against the University Christian Fighting Christians on Friday, Sept. 10, at University Christian High School. The school is located at 5520 University Blvd. West, in Jacksonville, Fla. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.