By Michael Bielecki
Sebastian River High School travels to Okeechobee on Friday in a battle of winless teams. This is the first road game of the season for Sebastian, and the change of scenery may do the Sharks (0-2) some good right now.
Coming off a heartbreaking 10-7 loss to Centennial, SRHS will be taking on an Okeechobee team without much firepower. The Brahmans have been outscored 96-14 this year, with all their points coming in their 27-14 loss to Avon Park. The Sharks are much better than the 49-26 that they’ve been outscored this year.
Let’s take a look at the matchups.
Offense
SRHS has an unrelenting rushing attack which is led by senior running back Fred Macon. In just two games, Macon has 251 yards on 40 carries. There is a good possibility that Macon will have over 200 yards and multiple TDs against one of the worst defenses he’ll see all year. The Sharks will also look to get junior wide receiver Stephon Clark the ball once they’ve established the run. He’s due for a breakout game.
Okeechobee has their work cut out. The Sharks play very good defense, and tackle very well. With a young and small offensive line, the Brahmans have less than no rushing attack with minus-85 yards on the year. Freshman quarterback DJ Washington has completed 17/39 passes for 183 yards and 1 TD.
Defense
SRHS is rock solid on defense, and is looking to put up a shutout against Okeechobee. With one of the best defensive backfields around, the Sharks will look to confuse the rookie QB. They may not have to do much, because there is an excellent chance Washington will be running for his life most of the game. Running the ball isn’t even really an option for the Brahmans, but passing will be just as hard.
The Okeechobee defense will be severely tested to stop the SRHS offense. Most of the Brahmans starters play both offense and defense, and the Sharks only have a few players who play substantially on both sides of the ball. They don’t have the size or speed to match up with anyone from SRHS, let alone a stand out performer like Macon.
Analysis
This is going to be an ugly game for Okeechobee. This is an area with a proud football tradition, but on Friday, all they will have is their pride. The Sharks have something to prove, and this game should be over by halftime. The Brahmans conduct themselves with class, and SRHS Coach Randy Bethel will likely show mercy to his outclassed opponent by playing a lot of players. Nonetheless, the Sharks should win by over 20 points.
