Sonoraville hosts Devils in battle of programs on rise
After getting a taste of football with their preseason scrimmage a couple weeks ago, the Sonoraville Phoenix will finally get to dig into the main course on Friday.
Sonoraville opens the regular season this Friday at 7:30 p.m. when they host Model in a non-region contest. The Phoenix had a week off following their preseason scrimmage against Gordon Central, and head coach Jim Kremer said they put the time to good use in preparation for the season opener.
“We hit the fundamentals again, and we were able to get in some good days of work despite battling some weather,” said Kremer. “We tried to get better at some things and work on executing and blocking offensively. We talked about knowing what to do and knowing where to be. At this point of the season, we’re more concerned about us than other teams. But we’re going to focus on preparing for Model early on this week.”
The Phoenix, coming off three straight trips to the postseason and their first-ever state playoff win last year, will host a Model team that has developed into a consistently successful power in the last few years. The Devils have won 31 games in the last four seasons, and one of their wins in 2015 came on a hard-fought 9-7 victory over Sonoraville.
Kremer said his team has a great challenge in front of them, but that’s why they scheduled the game to test themselves early.
“I think they’ve become one of the better teams in Northwest Georgia the last few years,” said Kremer. “Coach (Gordon) Powers is a great fit there, and he’s got a great staff with him. They have a lot of good players. Their quarterback is a really tough kid, and he’ll play both ways. He’s able to run and throw. They’ve also got a hard-nosed, fast running back. Defensively, you never know what you’re going to get from them. They line up in several different fronts so we’re working to be prepared for different things.”
Friday’s game will be the first real test for several new starters after the Phoenix lost a big senior class after their record-setting season in 2015. The Phoenix have several new offensive linemen in front of new starting quarterback Patrick Moore. They will also break in six new starters on defense. One advantage they will have will be the home crowd behind them.
“It’s always nice to play at home,” said Kremer. “You have the convenience of not having to travel, and you can stick to your normal routine. We’ve got great fans, and they support us whether we’re at home or on the road. We’re expecting a huge crowd on Friday night, and the kids are excited to play in front of them.”
Sonoraville and Model are tied in their all-time series 5-5, but the Devils have won the last three, including last year’s defensive battle in Shannon. Kremer said his team needs to be focused on several keys in order to get a big win on Friday.
“We’ve got to go out and execute offensively, and we have a chance to be very physical so we’ve got to just let it loose,” said Kremer. “Another key is to win the kicking game. We have a very good kicker so we need to win that phase and at least one of the other two phases. As always, we need to stay away from turnovers. If we do those things, I think we’ll have a successful night.”
Prediction:
The Phoenix have some big expectations to live up to after developing into a more consistent program in the last three years, but Model is also much-improved in that same timespan.
Sonoraville needs to lean on their size control the line of scrimmage to try and neutralize some of Model’s great athletes. This should be an incredibly competitive game, but Sonoraville’s depth will be the key factor.
Score:
Sonoraville wins, 20-17.