The Houston High School football team travels to Mountain Grove this Friday (Oct. 18). Here are three things that will help the Tigers secure their sixth win of the season.
KEY #1: PLAY ASSIGNMENT FOOTBALL
HHS head coach Eric Sloan figures the Tigers’ defense will have to play “assignment football” against Grove’s option offense, led by junior quarterback Aden Estep.
Estep hasn’t gone to the air much this year, only completing 13 of his 30 attempts for 288 yards while throwing 4 touchdowns to 2 interceptions.
However, it’s the quarterback’s legs that have sparked trouble for opponents, picking up 698 yards on 89 carries, a whopping 7.8 yards per carry, and 14 touchdowns to boot.
For the Tigers defense, everyone needs to stay in their lane, so to speak, to avoid being fooled and out of position when a ball-carrier comes their way.
KEY #2: AVOID OFFENSIVE MISTAKES
On offense, Houston will need to execute and avoid mistakes in order to move the chains and produce points against the Panthers’ active and athletic defenders.
The Panthers defense has recorded 9 interceptions through 7 games. Although junior quarterback D.J. Riley isn’t prone to mistakes, he threw 2 interceptions in each of the Tigers’ two games against top conference opponents Thayer and Ava.
While Riley tries to find the team’s premier scoring threat in senior Jordan Arthur downfield for big gains, he’ll have to do so with caution.
Fumbles haven’t been an issue for the team so far, only recording one on the season, so keeping that trend going will be important.
KEY #3: WIN THE MENTAL BATTLE
Mountain Grove has long been a powerhouse in area football.
Sloan said one of his team’s main keys to success in the matchup is winning the mental battle.
“We have to play the way we’re capable of,” he said, “and not look at the front of their jerseys and freak out when we see that it says Mountain Grove.”
INJURIES
Senior lineman Ethan Buckner has missed the past two games with a knee injury and is questionable. Everyone else is expected to be available.
The Tigers have managed to put together some strong showings against weaker opponents this season but are yet to break through against top teams. This is a chance for them to reverse that trend.
The Tigers enter the contest with an overall record of 5-2 and are 3-2 in South Central Association conference play, while the Panthers are 4-3 overall and 4-1 in the SCA. With only two games left in the regular season, both teams are looking to improve their status in their respective districts. Houston is currently sixth in the 8-team Class 2 District 4, while Mountain Grove is third in the 7-team Class 3 District 5.
Friday’s game can be watched live online at houstonherald.com/live.
