Apaches set for unorthodox season opener

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GONZALES — The Gonzales Apaches have been working all offseason to get right back under the Friday night lights and prove the prognosticators wrong. Except the Apaches are going to have to wait to get “under the lights” since Hurricane Harvey and its effects on South Texas forced administration to move their game to Saturday morning.

“Gonzales was awful lucky. I know we had some people with some damage and I hate that, but the damage that was down south and even in La Grange, that whole town got flooded,” Gonzales Athletic Director Kodi Crane said of the storm’s effects. “We touched based with our football team constantly through the storm. We had some people that got evacuated, [but] the biggest effect it had on our football team is the lack of practice and the lack of the constant routine.”

As school districts affected by the storm assess their availability to play a football game, Gonzales was “lucky” enough, as Crane said, to avoid catastrophic damage. Nonetheless, the Apaches will still have a varsity-only week, just not “under the lights” as they kickoff at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

With school closed Monday and Tuesday for Gonzales ISD, the Apaches are currently working under a three-day preparation week, which puts the team at a disadvantage against their opponents Orange Grove who have been in school all week.

“I felt like last Thursday we were in pretty good shape,” Crane said. “Then we went Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday without doing anything and we’re going to have to build back to get that shape back. Just the lack of practice, the lack of timing — you didn’t throw, you didn’t catch, you didn’t block, you didn’t have on cleats for five days — it’s the biggest effect we’ve had.”

Last week’s scrimmage cancellation will also be a hurdle to overcome, since the Apaches weren’t able to run through a live half like they planned. Without it, the Apaches haven’t had a chance to switch personnel or even run a live special teams play against an opponent. Saturday morning will be a lot of learning on the job for the Apaches.

Headed to the game, the Bulldogs’ offense will be led by junior quarterback Coleman King who David Campbell’s Texas Football predicts as the District 16-4ADII preseason offensive MVP.

“I’d [also] vote for him as preseason offensive MVP, he’s a good football player,” Crane said. “He’s tall, he’s lanky and he has good speed. We saw that in our game against us last year. He got loose on an option or two and had really good foot speed. He’s going to be as good as advertised.”

From what the coaching staff have seen on the limited film they have this season, the Bulldogs will still be working out of a spread formation though they’ve made it a point to work on their running game under center during their first scrimmage.

“We’ve got to be able to contain [King],” Crane advised. “He’s their go-to guy. And we’re going to have to be able to adjust to what they’re doing. I think our experience, especially in the safety position with Colby Cox and Corey Anzaldua being there, I think we’ll be able to get that going like we need to.”

Defensively, the Bulldogs have shown multiple looks. Last season they ran more of an even front, this season it’s an odd.

“That’s what we saw in the scrimmage,” Crane noted. “It’s so up in the air. Our kids have got to be prepared for anything.”

For the team to have success, Crane believes his offensive line needs to lead the way.

“That’s what we’re looking to do, get behind those big boys,” he said. “We have a lot of people returning but that offensive line is the heart and soul of the football team. They’ve been here and been a part of the varsity for a long time. They’re the heart and soul and we got to be right behind them.”

The morning start will be a different feeling for the Apaches. Most of the athletes on the team haven’t played on Saturday morning since their youth football days in GCYFL. Having to “get ready” so early may pose a problem.

“That’s going to be a huge key to victory, coming out with energy, with excitement and I know it’s the first game but being able to handle that 11 a.m. start … I think whichever team handles that the best will have the best chance of success,” Crane said.

Kickoff at Apache Field is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2.

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