GAME 1 Preview: Westfield School vs. Terrell Academy

GAME 1 PREVIEW
WESTFIELD SCHOOL VS. TERRELL ACADEMY

THE HORNETS TRAVEL DOWN TO DAWSON, GA. TO TAKE ON THE 2018 GISA AA STATE RUNNERS-UP, THE TERRELL ACADEMY EAGLES. WESTFIELD WILL BE BREAKING IN NEW OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE SCHEMES AS THEY GO OUT OF CLASSIFICATION FOR AN EARLY TEST FROM A AA POWER. FIRST YEAR HORNET HEAD COACH BRUCE LANE IS HOPING TO GET OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT AND BUILD OFF OF A 4-7 2018 PLAYOFF CAMPAIGN.
 
THE FIRST GAME IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT IN THE OVERALL TRAJECTORY OF A SEASON BUT THE HORNETS WILL BE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION DURING THIS FIRST GAME BECAUSE IT WILL BE A LITMUS TEST FOR HOW THE SEASON WILL TURN OUT. WESTFIELD NEEDS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE, ESPECIALLY ON THE OFFENSIVE SIDE OF THE BALL. BIG QUESTIONS EXIST FOR THE HORNETS ON OFFENSE CONSIDERING THEY ARE REPLACING STARTERS ACROSS THE O-LINE AND AT QB. WHO WILL BE THE LEADERS WHO WILL STEP UP FOR THE HORNETS ON OFFENSE?
 
WESTFIELD SHOULD RELY ON THEIR STRONG DEFENSE IN THE EARLY PART OF THE YEAR WHILE THEY ARE ALLOWING THE OFFENSE TO SPIN UP IN A NEW SYSTEM. THE HORNETS WERE VERY STRONG IN 2018 ON DEFENSE AND OFTEN KEPT THE TEAM IN GAMES WITH TIMELY TURNOVERS AND STINGY DEFENSE UP FRONT. WESTFIELD WILL NEED TO BE OPPORTUNISTIC IN THE TURNOVER BATTLE TO HAVE EARLY SUCCESS IN 2019.
 
MGSN GOT AN UPFRONT VIEW OF TERRELL ACADEMY DURING THE 2018 AA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. THE GATEWOOD GATORS HAD GREAT SUCCESS AT RUNNING THE BALL DIRECTLY AT THE EAGLES AND ALSO FORCED THE EAGLES’ TIMING OFF IN THEIR SPREAD ATTACK. WESTFIELD NEEDS TO ATTEMPT A SIMILAR APPROACH BY PLAYING BALL CONTROL OFFENSE AND ALLOWING THEIR DEFENSE TO SWARM THE EAGLES. TERRELL ACADEMY WAS EXTREMELY ATHLETIC LAST SEASON SO WESTFIELD WILL HAVE TO USE GREAT LEVERAGE AND KEEP EVERYTHING IN FRONT OF THEM ON DEFENSE.
 
THIS GAME WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT TEST FOR WESTFIELD AND WILL GIVE COACH LANE A GOOD TOOL TO ASSESS WHERE HIS TEAM IS EARLY IN THE 2019 SEASON. WHILE WESTFIELD SHOULD FIELD A SOLID DEFENSE I THINK THE HORNETS WILL STRUGGLE A BIT ON OFFENSE IN GAME 1. IF THE HORNETS CAN INCREASE THEIR OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION AND REDUCE TURNOVERS, THEY WILL BE IN A GREAT POSITION TO WIN GAME 1.