Despite winning 41-0 last week, Athens quarterback Treyce Albin showed no signs of overconfidence heading into Friday’s matchup with Canal Winchester.
He played a near perfect game against Warren, but Albin still saw correctable aspects of his performance.
“I missed a couple balls that I should’ve had that could be differences in other games,” Albin said.
Although Canal Winchester finished 2-8 last season, Athens wide receiver Robert Dickelman said the difference in level of competition between Warren and the Indians will be significant. Canal Winchester began their season with a 24-21 win over Thomas Worthington last Friday.
Albin said the big challenge Canal Winchester presents is the height in the team’s secondary, and he wasn’t kidding.
Canal Winchester sports three defensive backs at least six feet tall, including Cameron Metzler, who stands six-foot-three-inches tall.
The Bulldogs can counter that height, however, with five wide receivers of their own over six feet tall.
The rest of the receiving core is either made up of shorter players or underclassmen who enter the game sparingly in more spread out formations and when other players need a rest. Athens' lack of experienced height will make getting open harder for receivers and passing windows tighter for Albin.
Friday’s game will also be Albin’s first road start as varsity quarterback. He didn’t shy away from the prospect of quieting an opposing crowd, but he hinted that Canal Winchester’s big home crowd could take some getting used to.
“Usually, I like to be hated,” Albin said. “It makes me play better. It’s more just the pressure of it because you’re not used to having all those people look at you.”
Although the Friday night lights can shine extremely bright, Albin, the son of Ohio offensive coordinator Tim Albin, knows how to put things into perspective.
“I just gotta look up to my dad’s players,” Albin said. “They always have a big game. This year they have it at Tennessee. I look at how they handle it, and that helps me out a lot.”
