GAINESVILLE, Ga. — East Forsyth made a statement this time last year in just its third season on the block.
The young Broncos walked out of Cedar Shoals with a shocking 22-14 win to start Region 8-4A play 1-0 in 2022. It also was the program's first-ever region win.
Head coach Brian Allison would love nothing more than to repeat last year's win as they'll play host to Cedar Shoals on Friday, and you can hear the action live on WDUN FM 102.9 and streaming at accesswdun.com.
Allison knows starting region play 1-0 is key to the program's long-term goals, as the Broncos were just one win away from making their first playoff berth in 2022.
"This is an important game," he said. "I think all the region games are very important, and this one is early. Several teams are fighting for those four playoff spots, and there are a lot of teams that can get in those four spots. So, you know, North Oconee is the front-runner in this whole thing, and then you've got a bunch of teams that will be very competitive."
Last season's win didn't come easy for the Broncos, who trailed 14-9 in the third quarter. Tripp Morris, who scored twice that night, pushed the Broncos ahead 15-14 late in the third and then again with just under five minutes remaining to go up 22-14. The defense also stepped up, forcing two turnovers, with one cashed in for a touchdown.
Allison said the Jaguars are "what they were last year."
"They have a lot of size on the line, and they've got speed everywhere that we don't necessarily have," he said. "They've got a receiver that's a really good player. We'll see if we can handle their speed. I think we can match up well with their size; just the speed is a concern for us."
It's obvious the Jaguars' speed is a concern, especially when it comes to big-play potential, but in the Jaguars' first two games, against two top-10 worthy teams -- Monore Area and Clarke Central -- those big plays didn't happen. The Jaguars failed to score last week in a 41-0 loss to Monroe Area and only put up seven points in the loss to Clarke Central. They've also only totaled 278 total yards of offense.
Even though the Jaguars have struggled offensively against two solid programs, they are already battle-tested, which could be bad news for the Broncos early on.
"It's going to be critical that we're not giving up the deep ball," Allison said. "And they had it up several times last year, and, thankfully, they weren't able to connect on it. But they like to throw the deep ball, and we've got to be able to stop it."
Defensively, the Broncos recorded three interceptions and had two fumble recoveries last week against Seckinger. Titus D'arcangelo had a Pick-six, while Troy Hoover had one of the three interceptions on the night. Allison says the primary keys to getting a win are the same every week: "Take care of the football, be fundamentally sound blocking and tackling, and be solid on special teams."
"We've got to stop the deep ball, and we've got to minimize how many yards they're getting when rushing the football," he said. "Offensively, we've got to be able to run and throw it when we want to. We've also got to be really good on special teams. If we can take care of those responsibilities, I think it'll give us a chance to win."
CEDAR SHOALS at EAST FORSYTH
Records: Jaguars (0-2, 0-0 Region 8-4A); Broncos (1-0, 0-0 Region 8-4A)
Last week: Cedar Shoals lost 41-0 to Monroe Area; East Forsyth beat Seckinger, 44-20
Where: Broncos Stadium, Gainesville
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Key players: East Forsyth: QB Brock Szackacs (8-for-13, 100 yards passing 1 TD; 5-41 rushing), RB Gus Martin (4-88 rushing, 3 TD, ), Tripp Morris (22-131 rushing, 1 TD); Cedar Shoals: QB Anthony Hubbard (15-for-45, 225 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT), WR Devin Hester (9-174 rec., 1 TD), RB Taiwan Green (21-63 rush)
The Statisticals: East Forsyth leads the series, 1-0. The Broncos won 22-14 in 2022 in Athens. This is the only region-opener this week in 8-4A, as the rest of the region will get started next week. The Broncos got off to an excellent start last week as Gus Martin scored three times, and the defense forced five turnovers. It's the fourth consecutive season the Jaguars have started 0-2, but they made the playoffs each of the past three seasons.
What to watch for: The East Forsyth defense vs. the Jaguars offense. Cedar Shoals has scored just 1 TD all season and is averaging less than 100 yards a game on the ground. The Broncos defense gave up 20 points but already are showing they are ballhawks with five takeaways, including 3 INTs last week.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2023/8/1201620/football