OAKWOOD — An immense challenge awaits West Hall football on Friday: Find a way past one of the name programs in the state -- one that appears to be getting back to its dominant ways at the right time.
Owner of a 22-season state playoff streak and having been to at least the quarterfinal round in each of the past four seasons, Marist is one of the consistent winners in all of GHSA. And after starting this campaign 2-2, the War Eagles won two straight before rolling into a bye last week and are back to No. 10 in the Class AAAA rankings.
(NOTE: For a look at all of the contests involving northeast Georgia programs for Week 8, click here.)
It is a challenge that would cow some programs -- but West Hall is not that team, not any more. The Spartans (5-2, 1-0 Region 7-AAAA) are gunning for their fourth straight state playoff berth and have begun to solidify that quest behind a versatile offense and opportunistic defense. And now they see, rather than a towering hurdle, a chance to prove just how far they have come.
"We have a big opportunity," said Spartans senior strong safety/wide receiver Tommy Oliver. "We've definitely had our ups and downs, but over the past couple of weeks we've made improvements where we needed to. And we definitely have a chance at doing good against this team, and I believe it's going to be a good game."
Certainly West Hall feels it has the talent to hang with anyone, but -- perhaps more important -- it now has a belief that talent will find a way to win. It is a factor both displayed and boosted in last week's 35-28 Region 7-AAAA defeat of Chestatee when the Spartans rolled to an early lead before watching the War Eagles fight back to tie the score at 28-28 -- only for West Hall to score inside the final two minutes to seal the victory.
"What I saw was us getting to a point of the kids believing we'll make a play to win," Spartans coach Tony Lotti said. "That's as opposed to, when (Chestatee was) able to climb back in and tie it -- I think maybe in the past there would have been some, 'well, here it goes again; we're going to lose.' But my guys didn't think that way; they still believed, 'you know what, OK. We've got to wake up a little bit here, and let's make a play to win the ballgame.' "
The Spartans have been making plenty of plays this season behind an offense that averages 235 rush yards per game. Tyrese Osborne is the feature back with 651 yards and 8 touchdowns, but four other players have over 100 yards rushing this campaign -- including quarterback Jacob Satterfield, who is also passing for 112 yards per game. Cameron Shirley (215 yards receiving, 1 TD) and Will Dague (141 yards receiving, TD) each lead the team in catches with 15. And they hope that versatility will help them both roll up yards and keep Marist's grinding option attack, which is averaging 253.7 yards rushing, on the sidelines on Friday.
"We've got to sustain drives," Lotti said. "And then kind of control the football game that way, as far as being able to put drives together, not doing anything that hurts ourselves, with penalties that back us up and things like that. So it's going to be real important we play a real clean football game to have a chance to capitalize on keeping the ball for a long time. It's like with any game, the more you have it, the less their offense does, then that increases your chances for success. But doing it is also whole other thing, because their defense is really good too."
The War Eagles have specialized in stopping the run, yielding just 97.8 yards per game and 3 total touchdowns -- though they have given up 897 yards passing and 9 touchdowns. Though going to the air against Marist brings with it a risk, as the War Eagles have picked off 8 passes.
"Hopefully we'll run the ball very well and throw it a little bit," Lotti said. "The big thing is going to be catching balls -- I think that was a big thing last week versus a couple of weeks ago. We had a very difficult time catching the football (in a 34-10 loss to Rabun County), but last week in the pouring rain we made some really good catches. So those things are going to be important."
Marist's offense has not worried too much about catching the ball season -- the War Eagles have completed just 30 percent of attempts and are throwing around 8 passes per game. But Marist's option attack has not missed those yards, making up for it with a powerful ground game led by quarterback Jack Dinges (team-high 596 yards, 5 TDs) and running back Michael Addicks (449 yards, team-high 7 TDs). And it is an offense that will require the Spartans to be both disciplined and sure-tackling.
"(Marist is) very methodical and very fundamentally-sound. And those are always the marks of a great football program," Lotti said. "And those are the things that really I'm trying to do here -- concentrating on the fundamentals and doing the right things. And that's going to be the key when you've got dive, option, quarterback pitch, and then they're going over and over and they lull you in, and next thing you know they hit you for a 50-yard touchdown pass -- so making sure we're in staying in coverage when we're coverage and everybody doing their assignments and playing low -- getting our hands down is going to be very important."
The Spartans defense enters the contest allowing 17 points per game and has been very opportunistic, forcing 14 turnovers while also ringing up four sacks per game -- though there will be few opportunities to continue that against the run-first attack of Marist.
"We'll see how the kids... where we've come as a program, how we respond to this new opportunity," Lotti said.
For their part, the Spartans players believe they are prepped for the test.
"We're just going to have to give it our all and stay 100 percent, and we're just going to have to play fundamentally-sound and do what we're coached to do," said West Hall senior receiver Tanner Ahmad. "I always have belief in my players; we have great confidence. I think we learned that from the coaches. Coach Lotti gives us that. And we just stay giving it our all."
"They're (Marist) obviously a very good program, so I was nervous at first," Oliver added, noting the team's feelings when the schedule was released back in the spring. "But as the season has progressed and as we have improved I know that we are -- we're up there with them."
On Friday night, West Hall will have the chance to show that to the rest of Region 7-AAAA and the state.
MARIST at WEST HALL
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: The Hot Gates of Spartan Field, Oakwood
-- RADIO: 102.9 FM
-- MARIST (4-2, 0-0 Region 7-AAAA): Ranked No. 10 in Class AAAA; Bye last week; defeated Gainesville 24-10 two weeks ago
-- WEST HALL (5-2, 1-0 Region 7-AAAA): Defeated Chestatee 35-28 last week
