Email
Print
Keep it simple
N-C will stick to game plan
John Setzler Jr.
Newton-Conover players continue preperation for Friday night’s second round state 2AA playoff game at Bandys.
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: November 18, 2009
NEWTON - The way to win a high-stakes game is best kept simple, says Newton-Conover High head football coach Nick Bazzle.
"We've won 11 games," Bazzle said Tuesday night. "And there ain't no reason going into a game and changing everything you do.
"(They) will come in throwing and running it and we'll come in and run it and throw it some."
Come Friday night, Bazzle expects to see visiting Newton-Conover (11-1, West No. 7 seed) stick with its style and try to beat Bandys (11-1, West No. 2 seed) in the second round of the state 2AA playoffs (7:30 p.m. kickoff).
The teams have met once already this season -- on Oct. 2 at Bandys in a Catawba Valley Athletic 2A game -- and the Trojans won 20-9 after grabbing a 20-0 lead early.
That victory sent semi-shock waves throughout the CVAC and ultimately was the victory that gave Bandys the league title, by one game, over the Red Devils.
Round 2 of the long series, which Newton-Conover leads 26-10, has a simple bottom line, says Bazzle.
"Here's what I told our kids today after practice," Bazzle said. "It's Football 101. When they throw the football, the defensive back needs to intercept it or knock it down.
"As long as you do that, we've got a chance. But if he (a receiver) gets behind you, we've got no chance.
"We just try to keep it simple and hope that happens."
Bazzle's attention to the Bandys passing game is heightened by what happened in the Oct. 2 game.
In that one, senior quarterback Kyle Houser completed 14 of 18 passes for more than 200 yards in the first half and Bandys jumped out front 20-0, playing in a stadium where it now is 75-23 in its last 98 home games.
The Trojans ended up with 65 yards rushing on 30 carries – compared to 234 on 46 by the Red Devils – but eventually with a league title because of a hot-handed Houser.
That threat has to be at least minimized on Friday, Bazzle said.
"The last time, they played great and we played awful," Bazzle said. "And that was a recipe for disaster.
"They will be good and they will be tough, like last time. We don't have a chance if we don't play more mistake-free than last time."
That's a primary focus this week in practice for the Red Devils, who are averaging 334.4 yards per game rushing – about 157 more than the Trojans – and 375.5 yards per game offensively.
"We had so many drive-killing penalties," Bazzle said, looking back at his team's only loss. "Just stupid things that don't need to be happening.
"I'm not talking holding or clips.. but unsportsmanlike penalties, things we did not need to be doing.
"That's what I mean when I say (play) cleaner…. It's the mistakes you can prevent from happening.
"All season long, we've been our worst enemy. We're the only ones who have stopped ourselves.
"Hopefully, we can quit doing that Friday."
The Red Devils have no major injuries to be concerned about, Bazzle said, and they are hopeful to get a certain bit of grit – and defensive presence – back.
In the last two games, against West Caldwell and last week's playoff opener against Piedmont, the Red Devils have allowed 28 and 27 points, respectively.
"We have been up and down," Bazzle said, trying to characterize the season. "There's times we have played like a million bucks and times we just sat on our thumbs."
Friday night, though, will be a time about playing well, Bazzle said. If either team does not bring its 'A' game, trouble could be brewing for the one that doesn't.
"If they are better than they were then, we are in trouble," Bazzle said. "(Houser) was 14 of 18 in the first half for 205 yards.
"We played a lot better defensively in the second half, but they jumped on us early and he went on a tirade.
"I hope he is not better because he will go 18-for-18 if he is."
The Red Devils have explosive offensive players as well -- including star running back Octavius Harden (117.1 yards rushing per game and quarterback Sam Royall (116.7 per game in total offense) – and they're going to have to be efficient as much as anything on Friday night.
"People look back and say 'They (Bandys) stopped your offense,'" Bazzle said. "They kept us out of the end zone… but we moved the ball from 20 to 20.
"I didn't feel like we couldn't move the ball. We just didn't put it in the end zone. They were better than us that night, no doubt. That is the bottom line.
"(But) we missed opportunities to score. We dropped a TD pass in the end zone… we got a TD called back because we held behind the play, we missed two field goals and we missed an extra point. That's 21 points left on the field and we lost by 11.
"If we had capitalized on some of those opportunities, it might have been closer."
Bazzle said he biggest expectations for the game are that it will be emotional, physical and "a whole lot of people there."
The winner advances to the third round to play either No. 3 seed East Lincoln (10-2) or No. 6 seed West Stokes (8-4).
If Newton-Conover wins, Bazzle has to beat his alma mater (the defending West 2AA champion) to advance.
But he isn't looking that far ahead, actually not much past the opening 12 minutes of Friday's showdown.
"We can't make mistakes at all," Bazzle said. "We gotta make sure we don't spot them (Bandys) 20 points again. We're not a come from behind offense.
"If we go back there and have to come from 20 points behind, we're gonna have to hit some big plays in a hurry.
"Sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn't. You don't wanna spot them early, you gotta play good early."
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
- Census 2000-2008 Subcounty Population Estimates
- Last Name Rankings
- 2009 Catawba Public Payroll
- RealtyTrac Foreclosure Database
- Home Improvement How-Tos
- Environmentally-Friendly Cars
- Text Messaging Dictionary
- Business Bankruptcies
- 2008 Toy Recall Database
- IRS Stimulus Check Database
- FBI Crime Database
- Golf Course Finder
- NASDTEC Sanctioned Teachers
- FBI Hate Crimes Database
- Worst Nursing Homes
- Recipe Swap
Advertisement
