After a road loss to the Collinsville Pirates in their season opener, the Tioga Bulldogs return home to Bulldog Stadium to face the Ponder Lions on Friday.
Ponder enters the matchup with momentum on its side after blitzing the Venus Bulldogs in a 77-0 win in their first game of the year.
“They're a quality ball club,” said Zach Birdwell, Tioga athletic director and head football coach. “They’re explosive on offense, have a lot of weapons, and they have a veteran quarterback back there that's been doing it a while. They’re also big up front and have solid speed from their skill kids. … It’s another chance for us to go play another quality opponent.”
Last season, Tioga went on the road and defeated Ponder 43-42 with a last-second touchdown.
The Lions are led on offense by their senior signal caller Tyson Price, who put up almost 3,500 yards of total offense and over 30 touchdowns.
“We have to try to keep him bottled up in the backfi eld and try to keep him running in between the tackles because he's special in space,” Birdwell said. “… One thing I thought we did well last week, and that we have to continue to build off of, is effort. We need to have 11 guys flying to the football without a doubt this week or one is going to break at any given time.”
Tioga will need to play with energy and tackle well to slow down Price, who is already off to a hot start, with over 250 total yards and four touchdowns against Venus.
On the other side of the ball, Tioga’s offense is still a work in progress as the unit tries to find its footing without their planned starter at quarterback.
“We're changing our mindset up front,” Birdwell said. “We have to be more physical, and we have to look to get more movement while we continue to find our identity in the pass game from the quarterback position and see what we can and can't throw.
He added that the change in offensive philosophy also means a shift on the perimeter as well.
“Our receivers are also learning a lesson as we transition and play with the cards we've been dealt this year,” he said. “Route running and catching might not be the main ticket on the field this year. We have to take another step and look to be dominant as blockers as well, so we’re looking for guys that are going to scrap every single play out wide.”
The Bulldogs hope a little home cooking will help them find their first win, but Birdwell emphasized that the team remains focused on the details.
“We want to put a more polished product out on the field for our people to watch,” he said. 'Our defense took a huge jump in their play, and on offense, we have a long way to go, but we're looking to just put a product on the field that represents our standard and our brand.”
Tioga and Ponder will get things underway at 7 p.m. on Friday at Bulldog Stadium.
