The Bulldogs’ offseason preparation came to fruition in a shutout win last Friday.
The Bulldogs played their most complete game of the season against Watkins Memorial.
They held the Warriors to a season low zero points. Athens wore down the Watkins Memorial secondary, which opened up the passing game for big plays from Clay Davis and Robert Dickelman, who had a season-high three touchdowns in the shutout win.
Athens laid out the blueprint to a successful season: winning the battle in the trenches. Offensive and defensive line play will be crucial as conference play opens when they host to Alexander on Friday.
With conference play, emotions run high and the intensity is accelerated.
"There’s going to be a lot of feelings and emotions going on," coach Ryan Adams said. "So, you gotta make sure you got all your T’s crossed and I’s dotted, when you go into a game like this."
Alexander and Athens certainly are no strangers to one another. As members of the Tri-Valley Conference, both teams meet annually. Athens will need to tweak some aspects of the game-plan to be successful against a familiar foe.
“Each week you try and throw a couple curveballs in there that are kind of geared toward your opponent," Adams said. "And we certainly have those that we’re putting in this week. You just hope to continue to build some momentum heading into league play."
In football, momentum is crucial. However, even after a shutout win last week, there is room for improvement to bolster the team’s performance as the Bulldogs prepare for the Spartans.
“It’s a matter of just trying to clean things up and fix what mistakes you did see on film and keep trying to get better,” Adams added.
