The Orangefield Bobcats suffered their first loss of the season last week. The Bobcats lost 28-23 to East Chambers in a close contest.
Coach Josh Smalley analyzed the performance of his Bobcats. He said there were no moral victories with the loss. Smalley was happy with the way Orangefield competed in the game.
A positive in the game was the Bobcats suffered no injuries. In fact, this week they should be getting some players back. Tackle Colby Gonzales who has been out since injuring his knee in Week 3 against Shepherd will play this week. Orangefield will have the services of defensive back Tyler Washington in the secondary again.
There are still a lot of games ahead for Orangefield, so the players and coaches cannot dwell on the loss to a very good East Chambers team. Smalley commented, “We’ve still got a lot of good teams ahead of us, and I am happy with the way our kids competed, but disappointed in the loss.”
This week Orangefield plays only its second road game of the season at Hardin. Smalley said the Hornets have the best offense statistically in the district averaging 374 yards per game. They operate the Spread out of the shotgun formation. The Hornets will run the football a little bit, however, they prefer to throw the it.
Flinging the football is quarterback Austin Potetz. He is the leading passer in the district with the most pass attempts, the most completions, the most yards, and the highest passing percentage at 65 percent. Potetz is not afraid to run the ball having rushed for 479 yards averaging 9.21 yards per carry.
Potetz has a trio of receivers he likes to throw the ball. Matthew Tidwell is the leading receiver for the Hornets with 25 catches. Tidwell is tall and can jump so lob passes in his direction are common. Will Sims is another wide receiver with 15 receptions.
Hardin’s tight end is Trenton Dickey, and he is a weapon the Hornets will use in multiple ways. They will throw passes to him, run end-arounds with him, and toss screens to him. “He is a lot of concern for us,” Smalley warned.
Hardin’s defense has been comparable to that of the Bobcats so far this season. Coach Smalley evaluated the Hornets’ defensive. They base out of the 3-4 with a nose guard and two tackles similar to what Orangefield has faced much of this season. Hardin will slide the front into two-techniques and make it look like an even front.
The anchor on the defense is Paul Thonsgaard at nose guard. He has been on the varsity since his freshman year and is in his third season as a starter. Dickey plays linebacker and is a threat to opposing offenses.
Also, in the line with Thonsgaard are Hunter Creel at one tackle and Shane Holst at the other tackle. Both are big and cause havoc. In the secondary Potetz leads the district with three interceptions returning one for a touchdown.
Many of the Hornets play both on offense and defense which could cause them to fatigue late in the game. Orangefield with two of its players returning should be able to use fewer two-way players. Smalley observed, “The Hornets get physical up front, they are an attacking style defense, and will probably have eight or nine guys in the box to try and stop us which we see regularly.”
Orangefield lost a close game last year to Hardin. At 2-1 in district this is a pivotal game for the Bobcats who want to make this game a step closer to securing a playoff berth.
Smalley wants the Bobcats to play as hard this week as they did against East Chambers last week. “I say if we can go in there with the same attitude, same intensity, same spirit, same fight we played with last Friday we’ve got a great opportunity to come away with a win,” Smalley concluded.
The Orangefield Bobcats travel to Hardin to play Friday night. The Bobcats and the Hornets kick off their game at 7:30.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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