After two big weeks, Mary Persons takes even-keeled approach

After a gauntlet of a pair of highly emotional games to begin the season, Mary Persons finds itself in a fairly good place.

The Bulldogs (1-1) will put their No. 7 rank in the Georgia Sports Writers Association Class 4A poll on the line Friday when they’ll host Washington in their home opener.

Washington (0-1), whose mascot is also the Bulldogs, is coming off its second losing season in a row.

Mary Persons, for its part, is intent on not having a letdown of energy this week.

Unlike Mary Persons’ first two games of the season against Houston County and Jackson, Friday’s game won’t be against a big-name opponent or a rival. But it will play right into the mindset that has become ingrained throughout the Mary Persons program — to make the task at hand the most important one.

“We’ve played in a couple of bigger games to start the season, we kind of take it one week at a time, and the next game is the biggest of the season for us, that’s kind of been our mentality this year and in previous years,” Mary Persons head coach Brian Nelson said. “The main thing we focus on with them is on what’s the next one in front of them, and this week, it’s Washington and getting locked in and focusing on that.”

Still easing new starters into their roles, Mary Persons is not without things to look to improve on. Chief among them are when it comes to the offense finishing off sustained drives. Stringing together enough yardage to get in position has not been too much of a problem for the Bulldogs in the loss to Houston County and win against Jackson. But Mary Persons has stubbed its toe in that regard, as well, seeing drives inside the opposing 25-yard line end by way of coming up short on fourth down, turnovers or a blocked field goal.

“Early on, it’s our ability to get the ball down inside the 20 or 25 and not get any points out of it,” Nelson said of what the Bulldogs are looking to rectify. “I don’t want to say it’s hurt us, but it kind of has. We had opportunities obviously against Houston and Friday against Jackson when we got it inside the 20 and didn’t get anything for it, not even a field goal or anything. A couple of times we went for it, another time we got a field goal blocked, we’ve been stopped at the goal line twice in two weeks. It’s the ability to punch it in once we down there and get points out of a drive (is what we’re working on).”

Despite Caleb Speir getting every snap last week at quarterback, the two-way competition between he and J.T. Hartage is still up for grabs with both in line to see time on Friday. Speir was 7-of-17 for 56 yards last week.

“Last week it was kind of the rhythm with the way the game went,” Nelson said. “J.T.’s going to get some snaps early this week, for sure. We’ll rotate both of them end and continue to evaluate who can perform better than the other.”

This story was originally published August 31, 2016 at 8:53 PM with the headline "After two big weeks, Mary Persons takes even-keeled approach."