Handling blowouts can be a balancing act for coaches

Boyd-Buchanan football coach Grant Reynolds calls for the kicking team and a PAT after the Buccaneers scored a touchdown during their Sept. 18 game at Tyner. The Bucs won 40-7, and they host a rematch with the Rams tonight in the second round of the Class 2A state playoffs.
Boyd-Buchanan football coach Grant Reynolds calls for the kicking team and a PAT after the Buccaneers scored a touchdown during their Sept. 18 game at Tyner. The Bucs won 40-7, and they host a rematch with the Rams tonight in the second round of the Class 2A state playoffs.

When is it enough?

Marion County (10-1), other than a Region 3-2A loss to Boyd-Buchanan, has pretty much rolled through this high school football season. Boyd-Buchanan (11-0), which beat the Warriors 21-14 on Sept. 25, has done the same. The Buccaneers, a No. 1 seed for the Class 2A state playoffs, rolled to a 41-0 win over Eagleville in the first round last week, when second-seeded Marion County beat Westmoreland 42-0.

photo Marion County's head coach Ricky Ross watches hit team warm up to play Boyd-Buchanan at the Buccaneers home field Friday, September 25, 2015.
photo Calhoun head coach Hal Lamb directs his Yellow Jackets. The Calhoun Yellow Jackets visited the Ringgold Tigers in North Georgia Football Action Friday night.
photo East Ridge head coach Tracy Malone claps his hands after a play during the Smith County game Friday night.

For coaches in such situations, there's a fine line between embarrassing an opponent and keeping your players in prime physical and mental shape.

"Once you get the game in hand, you need to get the starters out and rest them," said Boyd-Buchanan coach Grant Reynolds, who is 84-40 in 10 seasons leading the Bucs. "If you can do that late in the season, it's a bonus. If you get backups some playing time, that'll pay dividends."

There is, though, that line that rests between mental approach, physical well-being and doing what's best for both teams while maintaining at least a sense of sportsmanship.

Marion County coach Ricky Ross doesn't see playing four quarters being a problem for his starters, although they've done it only once or twice this season and certainly weren't extended last week. They play at Forrest (10-1) tonight.

"We're prepared. We make workouts and practices mentally and physically tough enough that going through a ballgame isn't even a question," said Ross, who runs his team at a high tempo whether it's on the practice field or in the weight room. "What we've tried to do is put them through something harder than a game. I don't want to wait till Friday night to learn whether or not we're going to get effort."

But resting starters and playing reserves is beneficial, too.

"I don't think that'll be the case tonight," said Reynolds, whose Bucs host Tyner (8-3) in the second round.

Calhoun hasn't been challenged this season, but the Yellow Jackets could face a tough road in their bid to repeat as Georgia state champions. After winning their 14th straight region title, they begin the Class AAA playoffs tonight at home against West Hall (5-5).

"Our kids have done a good job of handling the situation the last three weeks by taking care of business and staying healthy," Calhoun coach Hal Lamb said. "We've gotten better practicing at this time of year. Now it's time to focus a little more and practice harder. I can tell there is some excitement and they're ready to go."

Ross is a Lamb disciple, having formerly served as an assistant at Calhoun.

"One of the things I took from Coach Lamb - he was going to play the (reserves) as fast as he could," Ross said. "Playing a lot of people helps your team numbers, but it also helps prepare for the next year."

Boyd-Buchanan has invoked a running clock via the mercy rule - which goes into effect with a 35-point lead - in three of its past four games, including last week. Marion County has had four consecutive games with the clock running continuously in the second half.

But there are obvious advantages to being tested. Unbeaten East Ridge was pushed to the limit last week, winning 35-28 in overtime against Smith County, and Pioneers coach Tracy Malone was grateful.

"It was extremely good for us," he said. "We had a hard battle; we battled the rain and we won. We've had a couple of games (that were blowouts), but battling back and winning a game in overtime, that fortifies our team character and reinforces our team character and things that we've talked about with the team all year."

GHSA Class A fields set, start next week

The 16-team brackets for the public and private school playoffs in Georgia's Class A were released Wednesday, and both northwest Georgia teams will travel next Friday.

Trion, the No. 11 seed on the public side, travels to No. 6 seed Turner County for the opening round; on the private side, 11th-seeded Christian Heritage travels to No. 6 Athens Academy.

Turner County held the No. 3 spot in the final power ratings of the season, but it slipped to No. 6 for seeding purposes after lower-ranked region champions were slotted in for the postseason. Trion, which was ranked 10th, would have a more favorable matchup in the second round, should the Bulldogs survive. Awaiting them would be seventh-ranked Irwin County (the No. 3 seed) or Wilkinson County, which was ranked 14th and seeded the same.

Christian Heritage would face the winner of the first-round matchup between third-seeded and fourth-ranked Aquinas and Brookstone, which is ranked and seeded 14th.

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