Bradwell Institute and Savannah High will go head-to-head at 7:30 tonight on Olvey Field with both teams looking to earn their first win of the season.
After licking their wounds from their loss last week to Liberty County High School, the Tigers took advantage of the long holiday weekend and a furlough day Tuesday to hit the field early to beat the heat.
Head coach Adam Carter said the team still is improving, and while they watched film and discussed strategy, the focus at practice was the fundamentals of the game.
“If every one of our players is getting better  … then as a team we’ve gotten better,” he said. “We didn’t work on schemes … we worked on running the football, blocking and tackling, going back to the basics.”
Last year, the Blue Jackets beat Bradwell, 16-7, at Memorial Stadium in Savannah. It was the Tigers’ third straight loss to Savannah High.
The Blue Jackets got pummeled, 41-6, by Greater Atlanta Christian last week, but Carter said they have speed on offense.
“They have some athletes that run really well … they have two running backs that are in small in stature but are very fast and can turn the corner and in the blink of an eye quickly be in the touchdown zone,” Carter said. “They have a fullback that is a bruiser and runs hard. Their coach keeps everything real simple for them. Defensively, they are athletic similar to Liberty but maybe not quite the same caliber.”
The Tigers managed 246 all-purpose yards against Liberty last week and had 21 first downs. Tiger quarterback LeBaron Anthony was 11-of-17 passing for 73 yards and also had a 54-yard run on third and long.
Anthony’s athletic abilities were recognized by the coaching staff, which named the senior as the Coastal Courier Player of the Week for Bradwell’s first game.
The Tigers once dominated the Blue Jackets, leading the series 8-0 before their recent slide.
But Carter said the boys are itching to get the first win under their belt, adding they plan to do so tonight at home.
“Anytime we walk into a game, I am confident that we can win and that is what I instill in these guys … and Savannah High is a game that, just like every other one, we expect to win,” he said.