The Pirates (1-1) square off against the Cougars on Friday at 7 p.m., as they look to bounce back from a tough 10-16 loss against Shorecrest Prep.
Merritt Island Christian features senior QB Tim Davis again this year, and St. Edward’s knows exactly what to expect. “They’ve got eight or 10 seniors, and a good quarterback,” said SES coach Brad Fojtik. “We’re expecting them to be competitive. They run the spread offense and a four-man front on defense.”
Davis racked up 111 yards on 21 carries last year against the Pirates. After dealing with a great running quarterback last week, though, you can bet the Pirates will be ready for the challenge this week. According to Fojtik, the mood of the coaches has been “extra cranky” after the loss. The old school attitude of the coaches has led to a great week of practice, especially for the defense. “Controlling the line of scrimmage is everything,” said Fojtik. “We couldn’t do it in the second half on Friday and we lost. We had a tremendous goal line stand, but melted down after that.”
The running game has been a huge part of the SES success story this year. Running backs Cameron Budde and Kollin Kite have combined for 357 yards and six TDs. After two games, the Pirates have 427 rushing yards. It took them all year to amass 941 yards and 11 TDs in 2008.
As for the defense, there’s just no comparison to the way they played last year. SES gave up 300 yards per game last year, but this year they’ve only given up a total of 286 after two games.
The Pirates beat the Cougars last year 13-12, and should beat them handily this year. The team will play with more sense of purpose this week. “Last week, their No. 18 (Hunter Tremaine) wanted it more than we did,” said Fojtik. “I think getting beat last week could have been the best thing to happen for these kids. We’ve had two great days of practice, and it’s sharpened the kids’ focus. “