Allatoona hosts a high-stakes game on Friday, welcoming Hiram to Cobb EMC/Buccaneer Stadium.
As if emotions won’t be high enough, the Buccaneers (3-5 overall, 2-2 Region 7AAAA) face a must-win against the third-place Hornets (4-4, 3-1). Still, senior quarterback Jacob Wan said the Bucs have stayed loose during practices this week, well-focused on the game plan and overall execution.
“There’s no reason to put extra pressure on ourselves,” he said. “We know what’s in front of us, and we’ve got to do our jobs.”
The Buccaneers lost 48-24 at No. 3 Cartersville last Friday, and coach Brad Smith said that while the game got away from them early, they managed to balance out their offense with 170 yards on the ground and 180 through the air.
“After the first quarter, our goal was to keep their starters in on defense, and they stayed out there the whole game,” he said. “I think we got some confidence off that.”
With the offense averaging nearly 400 yards a game, Allatoona’s defense will hold the key to success against Hiram. Senior Dylan Maina leads the Hornets in rushing with 743 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Caleb Carmichael has thrown for 843 yards and six touchdowns with six interceptions, as well as 68 pass completions to 11 different receivers. The streaky Hornets lost four in a row before their current three-game winning streak in the region.
As for common opponents, the Hornets beat Woodland 42-7 a week after the Buccaneers beat the Wildcats 49-35. However, the Hornets beat Dalton while the Buccaneers lost at Dalton just before the fall break, currently the difference in the standings. Smith said junior Amari Lindley (255 yards, three touchdowns) gives the Hornets a potent 1-2 punch in the backfield.
“They’ve got two really good running backs who can score at any point in time, so we’ve got to take away (the run) and make the quarterback beat us himself,” Smith said. “And he can do that, so we’ve really got to be sound all over the place.
Fortunately, the Bucs will have their 12th man behind them at the home field. Though the players will have to check their emotions in their final home game at Allatoona, Wan said the crowd can give the team a major boost.”
“Home games are always the best,” he said. “Our crowd shows up and shows out, and we’re looking forward to putting on a good performance for them.”