The Upperman Bees will look to continue their path towards a third straight Region 4/3A championship Friday when they take on the York Dragons in Baxter.
The Bees (4-2, 2-0) are on a two-game winning streak and are facing a Dragon (1-4, 1-1) squad that has struggled in 2020.
“They’re strong kids that can run and they enjoy the contact part of the sport,” said UHS head coach Adam Caine on the Dragons. “That catches my eye. In most of their football games they’ve played pretty good defense.”
Caine said the York defense will present challenges for the UHS rushing attack which has averaged 261.2 yards per game.
“The scheme they run makes it hard to run in the middle,” said Caine. “They’re going to make you earn things on the offensive side. It’ll be a challenge for us and hopefully we can improve this week and play good ball on Friday night.”
The York defense has held opponents to single digits in three out of five games this season, but the Dragons are coming off a 54-13 loss against White County.
The Bees are looking to build momentum after a hard-fought 7-0 win over Oneida. Caine said it is important for his team to do their jobs on the defensive side of the ball.
“We’re pretty good when everybody is in the right spots and doing what they’re supposed to do,” said Caine. “We’re not very good when we’re not. The big key for us, especially on the defensive side, is being where you’re supposed to be. When we do that, we become a better tackling team. Hopefully that lesson will sink in.”
Offensively the Bees were plagued by turnovers against Oneida but came through with a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Caine said, just like defense, it is all about execution.
“Offensively, it’s the same story. You’ve got to execute,” said Caine. “We’re going to make a concerted offense to try to eliminate turning the ball over. It’s been something we don’t want to have. Hopefully, we can hold on to the ball and get some extended drives going and put some points up this week.”
The Bees are 3-0 against the Dragons under Caine and will look to continue that success Friday night.
Upperman sits atop the region standings along with Sequatchie County (2-4, 1-0). York is tied for third with Smith County (1-4, 1-0).
Kickoff between the Dragons and Bees is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Baxter.