ELIZABETHTOWN — After three wins to open the 2015 season and an open date this week, the East Bladen football team won’t be resting on its laurels. Coach Robby Priest will see to that.
“Oh no, we’ve got work to do,” he said. “There’s still plenty to keep us busy.”
On paper, if not on the field, the Eagles have looked … well, Eagle-like. They have outscored their first three opponents by a combined 119-24 and are two late scores away from pitching a pair of season-opening shutouts. But Priest measures success only by the result of the next game.
“I don’t really worry much about the other team,” he said. “I worry more about ourselves and what we expect to do.”
East Bladen will line up against Class 4-A Wilmington Laney next week, a newcomer to the Eagles’ non-conference schedule.
“It’s a 4-A school, so we know they’ve got a lot of athletes to choose from down there,” Priest said. “And they’ll have a lot of depth. It should be a good challenge for us in a lot of ways.”
Priest is also hoping the non-conference schedule will get the Eagles ready for a tough Four County Conference schedule.
“I know who the big games will be against (in conference), but we won’t look past anyone,” he said.
During the open week, Priest said the practices will be as busy and intense as always.
“We want to keep the kids on a regular schedule through the entire season, so this week won’t be much different other than they is no game Friday,” Priest said. “We need to work on getting our timing right and just get better at what we do. That’s an every week goal.
“And despite the numbers so far, we’re really not that good offensively,” he added. “We have the pieces, but we need to get all the pieces working together more often.”
Priest said he’s happy so far with the defense, but “there’s always things we can do better.”
The Wilmington Laney game at Lenon Fisher Stadium next week will be the final non-conference game before conference play opens.
— W. Curt Vincent can be reached by calling 910-862-4163.