The #CFC50 No. 44 Tantramar Titans are looking to keep their solid start to the season rolling as they prepare to take on the Moncton High Purple Knights at home this Friday evening.
Coming off of their dominant 45-0 showing against MacNaughton, the Titans are looking to improve their record to 3-0. Under the guidance of head coach Scott OāNeal, the team is never losing focus of their goal to constantly get better.
Rebounding from their tough week 1 loss to the Riverview Royals, the Purple Knights, led by head coach John Allanach, are coming off a solid 32-14 victory against the Saint John Greyhounds. The Purple Knights won the 12-man league championship just a couple seasons ago, and with the consistent attack they implement on offence, they are always a challenge for opposing defensive fronts.
Titans head coach Scott OāNeal has had a chance to further evaluate his team through the first two games, and although the Titans have gotten off to a fast start with two road victories to begin the season, he knows there are still areas to improve in.
āI would say weāve played ok,ā the Titansā head coach said. āWe havenāt played as physical as I would want us to be playing.ā
While the Titans claimed a deciding 40-14 victory against the Harrison Trimble Trojans in week 1 on Trimbleās home field, coach OāNeal wants to see much more out of his team as the season moves forward.
āTrimble was a lot more physical than I thought they were going to be, but we ended up taking control of the game in the second half,ā coach OāNeal said. āWe need to play a little bit more physical if weāre going to keep going like weāre going.ā
āWeāre playing tough, weāve only played two games and I know coach Teed gave us some good stuff in the paper where he said we physically wore them down, but I wasnāt happy with the way we played physically. I thought we couldāve been much more physical.ā
One of the most positive surprises surrounding Tantramarās 2-0 start is the play of their younger players, a factor that is especially crucial with so many of them being counted on to make key contributions for the Titans this season.
āIām pleasantly surprised with the play of our young guys,ā coach OāNeal said. āWeāve got a couple grade nines and some grade tens in starting positions and they are playing well. Thatās always good.ā
Another area where the Titans have shown well is in the development of their passing attack, led by first year starting quarterback Jeff Lafford. The Titansā efficient and effective play in the passing game has given the offence more balance than in yearās past, and coach OāNeal is pleased with the way things are progressing.
āWeāre working it in slowly and itās working, and now we just have to get some more confidence with the passing game,ā coach OāNeal said. āAnd we all know what happens when you get your passing game going: it opens up your run game.ā
When it comes to stopping the Purple Knights on Friday evening, the Titansā defence will be faced with their toughest challenge so far this season.
āThatās a hard thing,ā the Titansā head coach said. āMoncton High has a well-oiled machine in the run game, and they are starting to mix in a lot more bootlegs and passes so itās a little more complicated.ā
The Purple Knights will look to establish momentum by controlling the pace on offence, and by limiting the opportunities for Tantramarās star running back Aidan OāNeal and receiver Jacob Hampel.
Coach OāNeal knows what he is up against with the Purple Knightsā offence, and the Titans have taken care of the necessary preparation to make sure their defensive strategy is fine tuned and everyone knows what to look for on game night.
āWhat worries me about them is once they get that motor running they can really take over a game,ā coach OāNeal said. āI think weāve been working hard to make sure we understand whatās coming at us based on our film work and our practice work. We have a good idea of what theyāre going to run when they line up in certain situations.ā
This game will undoubtedly be a physical battle for both teams. The end result will be determined by who wins at the line of scrimmage and who can keep their defence off the field.
āWhen you play Moncton High it is all about ball possession,ā the Titansā head coach said. āYouāve got to win the time of possession game, if not youāre in big trouble.ā
We think that the Titans will find success on offence again this week, and they will bring a much more physical game to their opponent. Fridayās game against the Purple Knights looks to be a much tougher challenge for the Titansā defence, but Tantramar has the offensive prowess and exceptional offensive line play to win the overall time of possession, and ultimately edge out another victory.
Friday’s NBHSFL matchup between the #CFC50 No. 44 Tantramar Titans and Moncton High Purple Knights is set to kick off at 7 PM at Alumni Field in Sackville, New Brunswick.
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