January is over, and the Bulldogs couldn't be happier.
In the toughest stretch of their schedule this season, Athens came out of the month with a 3-5 record. It played just two of those eight games at home.
This month, however, should offer better fortune for the Bulldogs, as they kick off the first weekend of the month with back-to-back home games against a set of easy opponents.
Athens (9-6, 6-2 Tri-Valley Conference) will take on the Wellston Golden Rockets (5-12, 2-7 TVC) on Friday night and the Bishop Watterson Eagles (6-8) on Saturday night.
The Bulldogs rolled through the Golden Rockets earlier this season with a 72-30 triumph and have yet to play the Eagles, who are a non-conference opponent.
This is the third time this season the Bulldogs will have a back-to-back setup, but at this point in the year, coach Mickey Cozart isn't worried about his team looking fatigued from increased action.
"We’ll be ready for that; we’re in shape," Cozart said. "We’re not worried about being out of shape at this point of the season. We can get up and down.”
Athens should have no problem finding success against Wellston. When the two teams squared off in early January, senior Griffin Lutz picked the defense apart for 35 points, while juniors Micah Saltzman and Dalton Cozart and sophomore Justin Hynes contributed 25 combined points.
Defensively, Athens only allowed Wellston to reach double-digits in points in a single quarter once, when the Golden Rockets scored 10 points in the third quarter.
If Athens' offense plays at a level similar to the previous game, the defensive play shouldn't be a factor in the outcome, and the Bulldogs should have an easy win.
As for Bishop Watterson, Athens should have no problem securing a win if it continues its uptempo style of play. Last year, however, when the two teams played each other, the Eagles throttled the Bulldogs in a 76-44 loss.
The Eagles play at a much slower pace than the Bulldogs, as the offense averages just 48 points per game, while the defense averages 49 points allowed. The Bulldogs, however, average 66 points per game, while allowing 57.
The unrelenting January schedule took its toll on the Bulldogs' record, but it should have prepared them well for what lies ahead as the they look to finish the season with a winning run.
