Published: August 05, 2008 08:02 pm            

New year, same goal

Raiders aim to keep playoff streak alive in new, tough region

GOOD HOPE — Chris Moss is well aware of the task he faces this year.

Now entering his fourth season as head football coach at Good Hope High, Moss has not yet led a non-playoff team. For that streak to continue, the Raiders are going to have to survive a brutal first-half schedule that has Moss’ team hitting the road four times in the first five weeks.

“We have a pretty tough first half of the season, starting at West Point,” said Moss. “But if we do some of the small things better than we did last year, we’ll be alright.”

Of the Raiders’ first four road games, two — at Hamilton on Sept. 5 and at Vinemont two weeks later — will count toward the Class 3A, Region 7 standings.

Good Hope’s game against Danville Sept. 12 — another Region 7 matchup — is the Raiders’ only home date of the first half.

But before Sept. 12 rolls around, Moss said his team would be putting all its energy toward its first game — a showdown with county rival West Point.

“We’re going to take the first game first and concentrate on West Point,” said Moss, who went 10-2 in his second season. “It’s a county rivalry, so we want to focus on that.”

After the in-county showdown, the schedule hardly gets any better. In week two, the Raiders head to Hamilton, which makes the step down to 3A this season after a playoff season last year in 4A.

But with a strong compliment of about a dozen seniors, Moss said his team should be fine.

“We’ve got a good group of seniors,” he said. “They’re really dedicated.”

That group will have to be dedicated if the Raiders want to replicate last season’s 7-0 region record. In addition to Danville, Vinemont and Hamilton, Good Hope’s region features Hanceville, Winfield, Carbon Hill and 3A newcomer J.B. Pennington.

Even though his team went 7-0 in the region last year, Moss said Hamilton and Winfield are clearly the favorites this time around. Especially since the Raiders have to travel to both.

“Hamilton has a quarterback that’s already committed to Mississippi State, so I’m sure they’ll be slinging it everywhere,” said Moss.

To return to the playoffs for the fourth straight year, Moss’ team will have to reload on both the offensive and defensive lines. Of the Raiders’ 12 seniors last fall, 10 were starters on the offensive or defensive line — a special group Moss called “unreplaceable” last spring.

“Going into the spring, we were looking to find replacements on the offensive and defensive line,” said Moss. “We had 12 seniors last year, and 10 of them were linemen on the offensive and defensive line.”

Even with a rebuilt line, the Raiders should get plenty of yards out of Jake King, a fullback who gained close to 1,000 a year ago — despite an injury early in the season.

The question marks are with the rest of the backfield. During spring practice, Moss and the coaching staff tried last year’s starting quarterback Matt Blackmon at several positions, including running back and wide receiver.

“He’s a good athlete,” said Moss. “We’re trying to find spot for him, trying to give him some release on his shoulders.”

After the brutal first half slate, the Raiders return home for four of their next five. After completing Region 7 play against Carbon Hill on Oct. 24, the Raiders close the season with another county matchup — on Halloween against Fairview.

        

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