Turnovers proved to be the Achilles’ heel that brought down the Clay-Battelle in Week 2.
After dropping 61 points on Hundred in a cakewalk season-opener, the Cee-Bees failed to keep the ball rolling offensively as they dropped a 14-0 decision on the road against Meadow Bridge.
Clay-Battelle head coach Ryan Wilson attributes a large portion of the struggle to failing to keep the ball secure.
“We have to take care of the football. We had a couple of interceptions and a muffed punt against Meadow Bridge. We can’t afford to be turning over the football,” he said.
“We give the ball to them, and we don’t finish our drives. You don’t want to give up those opportunities. That gives our opponent momentum. Whenever you turn the ball over, you’re giving away momentum. You’re giving them an extra possession, too, and you just don’t want to do that.”
After the tough loss, Wilson hopes a bye week during Week 3 will help his team rebound as they visit Valley-Wetzel for their second consecutive road trip.
“We had a good off week, and the kids were able to get away from the game for a bit. We gave the kids a couple off days, and I think that may have been refreshing for them,” Wilson said.
“Now we’ve gotten to the point that the kids are ready to play a game again. They’re excited to get back on the football field.”
After entering the season following the loss of a talent-laden senior class with a younger-than-usual roster, Wilson believes the early-season nerves have worn off and the team is beginning to gel as an efficient unit.
“I think we’ve done an excellent job. I’m real pleased on where we were at. Our young guys have adjusted to the high school game, and as a team we’re playing well,” he said.
One point of concern heading into the game is a distinct size disadvantage for the Cee-Bees — the Lumberjacks’ offense operates behind a towering wall of an offensive line that combines for a weight of 1,050 pounds. Behind them, a 225 pound running back and 200 pound quarterback await to wreak havoc on undersized defenses across the state.
Wilson isn’t fazed by the overwhelming size of Valley, however, so long as his squad sticks to the strategies that have been tailored for the game.
“I think we just have to execute our gameplan. We’ve come up with the plan that we think suits us and we just have to execute it. That’s the big thing,” he said.
Valley also enters the game reeling from a shutout loss — a 45-0 defeat to Cameron that set the Lumberjacks back to 0-2 on the season. They have been outscored 78-8 by their opponents thus far.
The last meeting between the two teams took place in 2017, as Valley nabbed a 29-18 victory over the Cee-Bees, handing them their first loss of the year. C-B last earned a win against the Lumberjacks in 2016, recording a 49-21 victory on their opponent’s home turf.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
