Coffee prepares for finale with Houston
Robert Preston, Jr.
The Douglas News
DOUGLAS — A little time off can do a person good. That’s what CHS head football coach Jerry Odom is counting on heading into the regular season finale with the Houston County Bears Friday night at Jardine Stadium.
The Trojans would just as soon forget their last outing, a 35-7 drubbing at the hands of the Valdosta Wildcats, who have made a resurgence after a 1-9 2006 season.
“We didn’t play well against Valdosta. That’s no big secret. They had an effective plan and we didn’t handle it well. We turned the ball over four times. We haven’t done that all year,” said Odom Monday afternoon.
The Trojans stand at 7-2 on the season and have clinched the third seed in the playoffs. With their postseason already solidified, it would be easy to overlook the last game of the year, especially against a 1-8 opponent like Houston.
But that’s not Odom’s way of doing things. Friday’s game is an important one, and he’s not underestimating Houston at all.
“It could very well be the seniors’ last game at home, and I want them to go out with a win. I want to finish the season right and head into the playoffs with some momentum,” said Odom.
He expects a mixture from Houston. They run a little wing-T, but are also capable of spreading the offense if a defense focuses on the ground attack. “They’ve got a good receiver. He’s a lot like Akeem [Wesley] and Mario [Bennett]. He’s a big guy, and they have an athletic quarterback with a good, accurate arm,” said Odom. He plans to use a 5-3 or 4-4 defense and play a lot of cover three to combat the Bears’ weapons.
Though Coffee won’t be able to host a home playoff game in the first round, the Trojans have a postseason draw that Odom likes. Unless Bradwell Institute upsets Camden County Friday night, Coffee will travel to Savannah to face the Jenkins Warriors.
The Warriors have lost one game this season, a 37-0 shutout courtesy of Camden. Should the Trojans best Jenkins, Coffee would face an opponent from the Atlanta area in the second round. “There are a lot of ifs there,” said Odom. “We’ve got to take care of Houston, and the focus on Jenkins.”
Kick-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Jardine Stadium. It will be Senior Night, and all senior players, cheerleaders and band members will be recognized before the game.
Thursday night, the athletic booster club will sponsor a pep rally and bonfire at Jardine Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
