Covenant gears up for showdown with Creekside Christian
Covenant is not the same team it was a year ago when it played Creekside Christian.
That Rams team was sitting at .500 and struggling to find its identity. Now, the Rams are undefeated heading into the matchup with Creekside and looking to make up for the 41-14 loss they suffered last year.
"I watched one series of that game since last year, and I haven't watched anymore. Because, that was not Covenant football," Covenant head coach Chris Oxford said. "We looked real bad and think this year we have really improved on all aspects of the game,"
The offense for the Rams has been clicking since the start of the season, and they have scored at least 32 points in every game. The Rams are led by their running game, which features converted lineman Khristian Tate, who has more than 1,600 yards rushing on 96 carries.
"At 6-foot-1, 255 pounds and he runs a 4.58 40, he is a load to bring down," Oxford said. "My offensive line is really jelling. They work very hard every day at practice, they probably outwork everybody on the field, my running backs included.
"On the offensive end, the key is giving Khristian Tate just a little bit of space and holding the blocks to give him room to run inside or outside,"
The Rams have managed to limit mistakes all season and haven't thrown an interception.
"A key to our success this year is that we have not really turned the ball over. We have not put our defense in a position where their backs are against the wall," Oxford said. "If we can keep our turnovers to a minimum, it should carry us through to the playoffs if we keep those down,"
Creekside's offense is coming off a 59-point performance against Sherwood Christian.
"They have a real good quarterback as far as running the ball. They don't really run the option, but they run a lot of sweeps and try to get bigger guys out in front of him," Oxford said. "Their quarterback is real mobile, so if he does go back to pass, he can scramble and run the ball. We just have to contain him. If we can make them stay inside and not get to the perimeter, we should be fine,"
Creekside's defense has not given up a score in three straight games and has allowed just 13 points all season, featuring a 5-3 scheme and strong linebacker and defensive end play, according to Oxford.
"There is not many scoring opportunities against them so far, their defense is real strong," Oxford said. "I have been scheming trying to figure out what I am going to do against them. I am hoping I can run the ball up the middle and work on the pass this week,"
The Rams hope that this year the story will be different than last year against Creekside as they will look to stay unbeaten.
"I think this year we should be able to move the ball offensively, and my defense has been playing really well, so we should be able to contain the run," Oxford said.