BOGART -- Tonight's game is about far more than West Hall's defense vs. North Oconee running back Kawon Bryant -- much more.<br />
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But it sure is fun to talk about.<br />
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Consider that the Spartans have pitched three straight shutouts in going 3-0 and are now about to face the reigning Class AAA offensive player of the year -- a combination of speed and power that shredded defenses for 2,559 yards as a junior.<br />
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The 5-foot-8, 185-pound senior has yet to explode by his own lofty standards this season -- with 50 carries for 217 yards and one touchdown through North Oconee's 0-2 start. But West Hall knows that it only takes one blown assignment to give Bryant the platform he needs to catch fire.<br />
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<b>(Watch a video preview of the game by clicking play in the box to the right.)</b><br />
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"No doubt he's a great running back," West Hall lineman Blaine Satterfield said of Bryant. "The key will be the defensive line making fits, making tackles and breaking down and getting him on the ground. We can't arm tackle, he'll break that."<br />
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West Hall will keep at least one eye on Bryant at all times tonight as they look to stay undefeated and continue a shutout streak that has lasted 144 minutes. But make no mistake, the Titans have plenty of other weapons, and West Hall coach Tony Lotti says his team must also be wary of standouts like receiver Zantravious Shields as they face their toughest test of a young season.<br />
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"It's going to be real tough," Lotti said. "Bryant's a power back that has speed. So any time you have that combination you're pretty hard to bring down. They also have other people that are threats. And they're rested."<br />
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Indeed, the Titans enter the game on the back of a two-week bye, having not played since Aug. 29.<br />
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"It was hard to come up with a plan for how to handle that," North Oconee coach Terry Tuley said. "I haven't faced anything similar to that since I was in college and we had the break before bowl games."<br />
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The layoff did at least give Tuley the chance to scout the Spartans in person, and the Titans coach was impressed with what he saw from West Hall in wins over Chestatee (31-0 on Sept. 5) and North Hall (38-0 on Sept. 12).<br />
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"They're very physical," Tuley said of the Spartans. "And as good as their defense is I'm even more impressed with their kicking game. It's going to be a tough task."<br />
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West Hall too is prepping for a showdown, knowing that North Oconee is both rested and aching for victory. <br />
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"I know they're hungry; they've had several weeks to prepare for us," Lotti said. "I scheduled all Class AAAA teams out of what I'm calling that mega-region over there (8-AAAA). And these guys are very physical, very big and very fast. But it's going to help us get ready for the region schedule."<br />
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For West Hall's players, however, the game goes beyond preparation. And after rolling to three wins already, they hope to show that they are capable of raising their game further with the 7-AAA schedule just a week from commencing.<br />
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"It's been very big for us. We beat two teams that beat us last year, so it's all about building confidence," West Hall senior running back/linebacker Cameron Millsap said. "It's going to be a tough test, our toughest yet, but I feel we've been prepared for it, and we're ready for it."<br />
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West Hall players and coaches say they are far from satisfied despite the impressive start, and they are quick to add that nothing is guaranteed beyond those three wins.<br />
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"I've been reminding this football team that in 2008 West Hall had a team that started out 3-0 and finished 5-5," Lotti said. "None of us signed up to go 3-7, and that's the only thing guaranteed. So we've got to take each week at a time."<br />
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This week certainly brings import in its own right -- and not just for the defense. West Hall's offense will also look to continue a pace that has seen them average 253 yards rushing per game -- a total that has been achieved via a number of backs. And while Kwon Williams leads the way with 225 yards, players like Tyrese Osborne and Jay Crawford (93 yards and 2 TDs in last week's win over North Hall when Williams left with an injury) have also played big.<br />
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It signals a type of depth not seen around West Hall football in some time.<br />
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"For us, you try to build that depth of confidence so if you have to sub somebody in you know they can get in there and go," Lotti said. "The nice thing is the confidence has been there."<br />
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Find a way to win again on Friday, and there's no doubt that confidence will only grow for the Spartans.
