On their march to the state championship last year, Strong ran roughshod over opponents during the regular season with Woodlawn being one of the few exceptions.
In their showdown at Jerry Burson Field last year, Woodlawn rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs responded with a late touchdown and a defensive stand to keep their perfect season intact.
On Friday night, the Bulldogs and Bears meet again in a 2A South clash at Woodlawn.
Game time is set for 7 p.m.
The Bears (3-0, 0-0) topped Parkers Chapel 44-8 last week to complete a sweep of the Trojans. Woodlawn also has downed Brinkley 20-12. Friday’s game will be their first in conference play.
Coming off of a two-week bye, the Bulldogs (1-1, 1-0) opened league play last week with a 42-20 win over Dermott.
“We didn’t get off to a good start,” Strong coach Jason Porter said of the Bulldogs’ win over the Rams. “We got the ball first and got four first downs on that drive and then had three bad snaps and turned it over on downs. We scored those 42 points in three quarters. It was 0-0 after the first quarter. We executed well as the game went on. Defensively, I was pleased with our effort, but we still are missing too many tackles. We will get that fixed.”
As far as the Bears are concerned, Porter said he is expecting a physical game given the Bears’ powerful running game.
“They are a disciplined team,” Porter said. “They run the ball very well. A very traditional Woodlawn team. They have a fast quarterback and they look to run about 90% of the time. Their O-line is good at what they like to do.”
If Strong is to slow down the Bears, stopping senior quarterback Jaxson Martin will be a major factor.
“Their quarterback makes then go,” Porter said. “He can run read option or speed option. He will keep it some. They have a couple of backs that they use. They have a big tight end that they will throw to occasionally. They are 90% run. They run out of multiple sets, the veer, the I and some shotgun. They look to go north and south. There is not much perimeter run like us.”
Defensively, Porter said the Bears are fundamentally sound.
“I think they are a disciplined group,” Porter said. “They tackle well. They aren’t the fastest defense we have seen, but they know their roles and are usually on the right spots.”
Last week against Dermott, sophomore Germyren McHenry rushed for 178 yards and two scores on just 10 carries, while sophomore quarterback Kaiden McHenry added 125 yards and two scores on 12 carries for the Bulldogs.
Senior Shundarious Shelton caught four passes for 52 yards with a pair of scores, but for the Bulldogs to have success on offense, they will have to account for Woodlawn defensive end Brayden Kitchens.
“Their big defensive end is about 6-5 and we have to account for him at all times,” Porter said.
“We saw him last year. If we can block him, we can get to the edge.”
Balance was crucial for the Bulldogs’ offense last year, and they showed that last week with Germyren McHenry and Kaiden McHenry combining for 300 yards on the ground with the aforementioned two scores through the air.
“As far as plays, we did have more run plays,” Porter said. “We scored in the red zone on two passing plays off of play action. With Kaiden at quarterback, we are probably gonna be more like 70% run and 30% pass until he gets more comfortable with the pass. He is improving passing. Having a mobile quarterback is a huge advantage and we plan on using that as a weapon.”
For the Bulldogs to pick up a key conference win on the road, Porter said his team must limit mistakes and be disciplined on defense.
“We have to limit the drive killers like bad snaps, fumbles,” Porter said. “We are gonna have to play assignment football on defense and not get out of position. With it being at Woodlawn, we can’t afford any turnovers either.”