COMMERCE — Cade Ridley knew his Commerce football team had potential — the senior lineman just wasn’t sure how long it would take to manifest.
Four games into an undefeated season, Ridley likes the answers the Tigers are producing.
“We came together a lot quicker than we thought. We thought it was going to take a while, but we started to click and started to mesh as a team, and everyone started to figure out their role was and what their responsibility was, and it’s come a long way,” Ridley said.
Commerce is set to find out just how far its come on Friday, as the Tigers will play host to No. 2 and 5-0 Prince Avenue Christian.
The Wolverines enter Friday’s game on a 23-game Region 8-A and regular season win streak — a span that dates all the way back to the 2014 campaign. Prince Avenue has also reached at least the state quarterfinal round in each of the last six seasons, including back-to-back semifinal appearances.
And yet Commerce came as close as any program to halting that dominance last season, falling 21-14 to the Wolverines in Athens.
With that in mind — and considering their performance so far this season — the Tigers are itching to see if they go one better on their home turf this weekend.
“Everybody in the community is going to be here; everybody’s going to have our back, and it’s going to be real loud in that stadium right there on Friday night,” Ridley said. “Everybody’s talking about it at school; it’s going to be a really good game.”
The contest features Commerce’s experienced and steady defense against Prince Avenue’s explosive passing attack. Meanwhile, the Tigers’ option offense will look to continue their ascent against a Wolverines defense allowing just 14 points per game.
“I look for us to go out there and execute what we do, and it’ll be a battle. We have no illusions about that. We know that this is a game that if you don’t execute you don’t have a chance to win,” Commerce coach Michael Brown said. “They’re disciplined. They don’t make mistakes, they don’t beat themselves. They play aggressive on both sides of the ball. Like I said as far as the program itself, they’re as good as anybody we’re going to see.”
Senior quarterback Grant Roland (67 percent completion rate, 990 yard passing, 10 TDs, 3 INTs) guides a Prince Avenue offense averaging 219 pass yards per game and 145 rushing. His top target is Christian Parrish a junior that has made big plays through the air and on the ground (21 receptions, 526 yards, 7 TDs/134 yards rush, 4 TDs) and has the Tigers’ full attention. Senior running back Sam Wessinger (58 carries, 280 yards rushing, 3 TDs) is also a work horse.
“They have a good wide receiver that they use a lot,” Commerce senior receiver/defensive back Kyre Ware said. “I see that you have to — when you play defense — you have to do your job or they’ll pop it on you.”
The Tigers — who have yet to allow a point in the first quarter this season — showed a penchant for pass defense last week, snagging five interceptions in a 35-0 defeat of Athens Christian — though they expect a much tougher test this time around.
Meanwhile, the Tigers offense will look to continue its progress after replacing almost 90 percent of its production from 2016 at the start of the campaign.
Stepping in to fill that void has been a mix of players, including Easley Smith (235 yards rushing, 3 TDs), DaJuan Wood (193 yards, 2 TDs), Nick Patrick (183 yards, 3 TDs) and Dylan Deaton (154 yards, 4 TDs). In fact six different players have rushed for over 100 yards for Commerce so far, as the Tigers enter Friday’s showdown averaging 40 points per game. Quarterback Nate Ray has also been opportunistic, completing 11 of 19 passes for 303 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT.
“They’re getting better each week, which is all we can ask of them. And we’ve had a really good week of practice this week, and we’re beginning to find our identity and what we do well and what we thought we could do that maybe we can’t,” Brown said. “And it’s a thought process each year, and hopefully by mid-season you come into your own, and I think we’re getting closer each week.”
Yet for all the playmakers on the perimeter and the backfield, Brown believes this contest could come down to the line of scrimmage.
“The big question is whether we can line up offensively and block those guys and maintain blocks,” Brown said. “Defensively whether we can play off blocks and get to the ball will also be key.”
Do that and Commerce may just be looking at a night to remember — what the Tigers hope is the first of many this season.
“We have a lot of respect for these guys; we enjoy playing them. The fact that we’re both undefeated adds a little more excitement to it I guess,” Brown said. “But we just kind of approach it as the next game is the biggest game of the year, and each Friday night’s an assessment to see where we are. It’s certainly not the biggest game we’ll play this year. Hopefully that’ll happen down the line in November or December.”
GAME of the WEEK
PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN at COMMERCE
-- WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday
-- WHERE: Ray Lamb Stadium, Commerce
-- PRINCE AVENUE (5-0, 4-0 Region 8-A): Defeated George Walton Academy 28-14 last week. Wolverines are ranked No. 2 in Class A
-- COMMERCE (4-0, 3-0 Region 8-A): Defeated Athens Christian 35-0 last week.
-- NOTABLE: Prince Avenue won 21-14 last season. The Wolverines lead the series 6-5 with six straight victories.
