Mount de Sales using sub-region opener to reset itself

Not everything has clicked all at once this season for the Mount de Sales football team.

Some parts have worked in some games. Other parts have worked at other times. But after going 1-3 through a stretch that included games against top-tier opponents Pacelli and Aquinas, Mount de Sales head coach Keith Hatcher is looking for a bit of a fresh start to the season in Friday’s GHSA Region 7A-A opener at Twiggs County.

“We’re off to a 1-3 start, which obviously we’re not happy with,” Hatcher said. “But we think we’ve been competitive in every game and continue to improve. We’re playing a lot of young guys, guys who are not experienced. We hope that the season goes along those guys start to step up and make plays for us on Friday nights.”

Despite having just five returning starters on each side of the ball, Mount de Sales has been somewhat competitive during its non-region schedule. The Cavaliers were within a touchdown of Pacelli at halftime in the season opener before losing 35-17, and the only lopsided loss came to defending Region 7-A champion Aquinas.

In between the Pacelli and Aquinas contests came a 31-7 win over GMC and an 18-15 loss to a Strong Rock Christian team that has played much more competitively this season despite a 1-3 record.

Mount de Sales has scored 84 points through four games this season, down a bit from last season’s 107. But the Cavaliers also have allowed slightly fewer points, 112 this year to 120 through four games in 2014.

“We really have yet to put it all together,” Hatcher said. “Defensively, we’ve played well a couple of games; offensively we’ve played well a couple of games. If we put that together, then hopefully we’ll be much more competitive. We’re hoping to do that Friday night against Twiggs County.”

Twiggs County (1-3) earned its first win of the season Friday when it defeated Hancock Central 24-6. That win came a week after Hancock Central routed Tattnall Square 42-19.

Following Friday’s road trip, Mount de Sales hosts FPD, Wilkinson County and Stratford on consecutive Fridays before closing out sub-region play Oct. 30 at Tattnall.

“Obviously, this is a fresh start to the season for us, to try to put what has happened to us up to this point behind us, start off with a fresh region schedule,” Hatcher said. “We’re preparing this week as if it were the most important game of the season for us because it starts off region play.”