By: Scott Wilson
MONTEREY, TN – Scott Hughes and his coaching staff have been working for months to get the Monterey High School football team ready for the 2020 season. The Wildcats were not able to hold spring practice because of COVID-19, they were not able to participate in 7-on-7 scrimmages, and they had to cancel games the past two weeks because of Coronavirus protocol.
However, on Friday the Wildcats will get their chance to put all that behind them. Monterey is scheduled to open its season with a visit from the Red Boiling Springs Bulldogs. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
“We’re having to work on so much right now, I don’t know where to start,” Hughes said. “It has been a weird dynamic (this season) in trying to teach, trying to install (offenses and defenses), and figuring out how much time you spend on one thing.
“Then you get shutdown for 14 days. The other teams have already played two games, so we are definitely behind the 8-ball and I don’t know if we can ever catch up. You hope that after two or three weeks into the season you have a better understanding of what your team can do.”
Monterey enters Friday’s contest coming off a 10-1 tally in 2019. Red Boiling Springs is 0-2 on the season with losses to Sunbright and Tennessee Heat (a homeschool program).
“With us being a younger team, and some players being thrust into the spotlight this year, I don’t know how our team is going to handle it Friday,” Hughes said. “There are some days where I feel like we’re making strides and some days when I feel like we’ve taken two or three steps back.”
The Wildcats will go into the battle with the Bulldogs almost completely blind. Since Monterey has not played a game this year, they are not able to trade film with RBS. That; however, has not slowed down Hughes.
“Basically, we’re going off of their roster from last year, seeing how many kids are returning,” Hughes said. “You have to figure they will be playing again this year. They do have a new coaching staff, but we really do not know what we’re getting into.”
Red Boiling Springs has struggled offensively this year, scoring only six points in a loss to Sunbright and 14 last week against Tennessee Heat. Hughes said the Bulldogs have potential, but he is worried more about what his team is doing.
“We’ve covered every scenario; and worked on possible offensive philosophies and defensive philosophies against everything,” the Monterey coach said. “You can’t simulate things in practice as well teams will execute on Friday night; and because we’re having to spend so much time on us, it’s not even about the opponent because we’re so far behind on ourselves.”
Behind or not, the Wildcats are focused on one thing…playing football Friday night.