Fresh off of their first win of the season, Smackover will try to build more momentum when they host Pine Bluff Dollarway in a 6-3A clash Friday night.
Game time is set for 7 p.m.
A week ago, the Bucks (1-4, 1-3) jumped out to a 14-0 lead before holding on to knock off Barton 14-12.
The Cardinals (2-4, 2-2) started the season with an 0-4 record, but have won their last two games in lopsided fashion, topping Barton 40-12 and Drew Central 30-14.
“They are fast and physical,” Smackover coach David Osborn said of the Cardinals. “On defense, they move around all over the place and present you a ton of issues. On offense, they like to run the ball and try to beat you to the edge and are always looking for the deep ball.”
The Bucks will be tasked with trying to slow down senior Cameron Henderson, who rushed for 263 yards and two touchdowns against Drew Central.
“He is a really good player,” Osborn said. “You have to know where he is on the field at all times, offense and defense. The backs at Dollarway run the ball extremely hard and have the speed to break a long one at any time. We will have to find a way to contain them and force them to run it back inside into traffic.”
Defensively, senior Prince Okojie is enjoying a terrific season having registered 70 tackles, including 11 for a loss with four sacks.
So how will Smackover’s offensive line try to slow the senior down?
“With a player like that, with the size and speed he has, it’s a big job for our guys,” Osborn said. “We have to do a better job of taking advantage of any little mistake they may make. We will have to mix it up a lot this week.
“We will have to get the ball out fast and in space. We can’t allow him to just sit in the middle and plug everything up. He does a good job of roaming the field, so we are going to have to give some different looks this week.”
In the win at Barton, T'Jay Modica had 11 carries for 67 yards with a touchdown, and D'Kylan Hildreth had two catches for 51 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown pass from Austin Goodwin.
Osborn said that while the win at Barton was big for his team, building off of it will be crucial.
“It was a big win for the guys,” Osborn said. “Anytime you win at Barton it’s a big thing. A lot of history and big ballgames have happened in that stadium. We need to build off and try to get something going as we finish the year. It’s been hard to get any momentum going this year with all the ups and downs with injuries, quarantines, cancellations and so on.”
Smackover’s defense, which held Barton to 225 yards of total offense, sealed the victory with two stops on their own end of the field with one coming after a turnover, and Osborn was pleased with how the unit responded.
“Our guys played well and stepped up big when they had to,” Osborn said. “With about two minutes left, we fumbled and gave Barton a shot and I was really proud with how we pulled it together and didn’t give anything up.”
The Bucks are also going to get a glimpse of the future with several freshmen moving up from the junior high squad.
“We have nine that have moved up,” Osborn said. “It’s always good to have those guys come in and bring a little spark to practice. You could see a few of these guys stepping up and helping on special teams and in some role-play situations.
“Trace Davis is going to step in for us and get a ton of work at linebacker. I’ve told them from the beginning when you get here if you can play, you will play ninth grade or not. Having those guys up with the program has been good for them. They get to see how we are trying to build this thing long term.”
If the Bucks are to win their second straight, Osborn said his team must not allow the Cardinals to strike quickly.
“We have to limit big plays from Dollarway and make them drive the field,” Osborn said. “We can’t get our head down and play through any bad situations that may happen. By this point in the season, we have just about seen it all. We have yet to play a game with our full team. We just need to keep fighting and take advantage of any breaks that fall our way.”