Last chance for home win comes tonight

By Dusty Harper (Contact) | Dadeville Record

Published Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Tonight is the last chance for the Benjamin Russell football team to get a win in front of its home fans, as the Wildcats wrap up their 2009 home slate with a Thursday contest against the Wetumpka Indians.

BRHS is looking to build from last week’s 38-17 loss to Fairhope. The Wildcats, as they have in most weeks, played well in the first half and trailed just 14-10. But, a rushing attack that gained 151 yards in the first two quarters produced only 28 in the last two, and the Pirates pulled away.

“I saw a little improvement,” head coach Danny Horn said about last week’s game. “It’s hard to explain the second half this season. If I knew the answer, I would do something about it. But, I really don’t know what the answer is. We try to adjust to different situations at halftime, but for some reason, we just come out flat.”

Turnovers didn’t help the Cats’ cause, as they fumbled on the second play of the half and then threw an interception on their second drive. Quarterback Trey Bennett was injured in the third quarter and did not return. Horn said Bennett has not practiced all week, though he will be available for tonight.

Anthony Burgess will make his second start of the season in Bennett’s place. Burgess, a junior, completed 4-of-8 passes for 51 yards in his first start, a 41-7 BRHS loss at Shades Valley.

“Anthony has a lot of work to do, but the experience he got this year will help him (tonight),” Horn said. “We’ll probably start with him and then work Trey in as we go along. He’ll be alright.”

The Wildcats will face an up-and-down Wetumpka team tonight at 7 p.m. The Indians lost 14-11 against Demopolis to start the year, but bounced back with two high-scoring wins over Stanhope Elmore and Sidney Lanier. Wetumpka then lost back-to-back games to Prattville and Northview, before getting back to .500 with a 7-0 win against Robert E. Lee in the Cramton Bowl last week.

The Indians have a stout defense that gives up 17 points per game despite allowing 38 to Prattville. In last Friday’s victory, Wetumpka did not allow Lee inside the 20-yard line.

“They have speed, and if you have that, it gives you big-play opportunities on offense and lets you make up for mistakes on defense,” Horn said. “They’re probably the second best team in our region. Offensively, we need to keep eating up minutes off the clock like we’ve been doing and take our chances when we get them. Defensively, we have to prevent the big play. That’s what they live off of.

“It will take a total team effort,” Horn said. “I told the players that we don’t have the speed to match up with a lot of the teams we’re playing. But you make up for that with heart and determination. That’s something that, at times, has been lacking a little bit.”

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