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Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Bulldogs turn focus to Jaguars

FORSYTH — At the time, it was viewed as the most important game on Mary Persons’ schedule.

But now, after keeping their hopes for a strong playoff seeding alive for yet another week, the Bulldogs’ dramatic 14-7 win Friday over Woodward has become little more than a faint speck in their collective memory.

“We need to be focused just like we were last Friday night. We have to play just like we did last Friday,” head coach Rodney Walker said, “because, you know, it would take a lot off of that victory if we let this one slip away.”

When the Bulldogs travel to Griffin tonight for their second-to-last game of the season, they are set to take on a much different Spalding team than they might have seen in years past.

A program that stumbled to five-win seasons in each of the past four seasons, Spalding has tried to play the role of spoiler for Mary Persons before. Last year, the Jaguars stood in the Bulldogs’ way near season’s end but were no match as Mary Persons rolled to a 45-17 win and a playoff berth.

Much like last season, the Jaguars enter tonight’s game hot, having won their past three games and four of their past five. In playing so well of late, Spalding (4-4, 4-2 GHSA Region 4-AAA) has streaked into a fourth-place tie with Mary Persons (6-2, 4-2).

It all results in a little headache for Walker.

“We’re worried a little bit about the seeding because you want to make sure you get as high a seed as you can. And we know we have to win the last two to get a higher seed,” Walker said. “We’ve been thinking that way since Week 6. ‘We needed to win the last four,’ we said. And we’ve won two of those, now we need to get the next two.”

Given the urgency of this contest, the Bulldogs dare not overlook Spalding — a team they have beaten five consecutive times.

“They’ve got a good football team; we’ve just got to make sure that we do the things we know how and need to do,” Walker said.

That means minding their pass defense.

The Bulldogs entered last week’s thriller against Woodward having allowed just three passing touchdowns all season. That didn’t change as they grounded the War Eagles’ passing attack, holding them to zero passing yards on eight attempts. The Bulldogs were only hurt by an early 5-yard touchdown run.

Despite that lone score, Mary Persons successfully executed its primary objective by limiting Woodward running back Juwan Thompson to just 58 yards on 11 carries.

This week the focus shifts to the air where Spalding sophomore quarterback Casey Moody has begun to shine.

“We’ve got to change our mentality a little bit,” Walker said. “I would say they throw it 60 percent of the time and run it 40 or maybe 65-35. So we’ve got to change our whole mentality of what we need to do on defense.”

Stopping the pass took center stage in limited but lively workouts this week, Walker said. With his players still abuzz about one of the biggest wins in Walker’s tenure at Mary Persons, the energy in practice earlier this week was positive.

One of the team’s leaders, running back Meshari Walton, said after the win that tonight’s game becomes the most important of the year.

“This game coming up will be huge,” he said, following a one-touchdown performance in his first game back from an ankle injury. “It could determine our seeding, either 2 or 3, as we go into the playoffs. We’ll be ready.”