The W.S. Neal Eagle football team will look to win their fourth straight game this Friday night on the road as they travel to face off against the Satsuma Gators in a key region game for both teams. The meeting will be the first ever meeting between the two schools, who are both tied at 2-2 in region play.
Satsuma improved to 5-2 overall last week after taking down Cottage Hill 34-14.
W.S. Neal head coach Doug Hoehn said Satsuma’s quarterback, No. 14 Reid Rials, leads the team.
“Their quarterback is a very good player,” Hoehn said. “He is going to be the best quarterback that we have faced so far this year. He throws the ball extremely well and he is hard to deal with when you bring pressure on him because he can also run very well also. He is a smart kid and does not make many mistakes. He knows when to throw the ball away out of bounds. We are going to have to focus and contain him. It will be a big challenge for our defensive backs.”
Another player Hoehn mentioned is No. 4, William Boshell.
“At wide receiver, there are several others, but he concerns us the most,” Hoehn said. “We are just going to have to work hard and our kids are going to have to pick up on some formations. It is going to be a very challenging night for us defensively, especially for our backs. Satsuma is very good at what they do.”
Hoehn said his team has not faced a team yet this year who throws the ball the amount of time Satsuma does.
“They are by far averaging more snaps than any other team this year,” Hoehn said. “It is not uncommon for them to throw the ball 50 times a game. They are big upfront as well. Their offensive and defensive lines are going to be the biggest we have seen this year. So we are going to have a challenge in the trenches as well.”
The game with W.S. Neal will be Satsuma’s second of three straight home games. The Gators are 3-1 at home this season and 2-1 on the road. With a spot in the playoffs on the line, Hoehn said that can be tough on the road, but they are looking at it as one game at a time.
“We are having to go on the road to their place,” Hoehn said. “We need to be ready to play and know our assignments going into the game. We just need to look at this as one game at a time. We know every region game is important. We know we have to win our region games to have a chance to make the playoffs. This week and next week are big region games, but our focus is this week. It is always best to try and take care of your own situations and not have to worry about others down the road. Our focus is on this game, one game at a time. In the end, it falls where it falls.”
Game time is set for 7 p.m. in Satsuma.