Mustangs look to eliminate mistakes

NIXON — Despite a big win last week, Nixon-Smiley’s head football coach Carlton McKinney saw plenty to fix in their game against Hallettsville Sacred Heart. The Mustangs (2-1) have used this week of practice to focus on the little things, and are preparing for another tough matchup as they take on the San Antonio Cole Cougars (2-1) Friday night.

“Last week, although we won, we made a lot of mental errors” McKinney said. “Whether it was offside [penalties], holding, we shot us in the foot ad slowed [ourselves] down.”

Going up against a bigger team, the Mustangs will have to keep their mistakes at a minimum to get by SA Cole.

“They’re athletic, they have good size up front,” McKinney scouted. “They’re bigger than we are, but most teams are.”

On offense, the Cougars will run out of the spread formation. Senior quarterback #8 Austin Barr is utilized a lot through both the passing and running game.

“He has good command of the offense,” McKinney noted.

The team is filled with seniors, all who have “been on the varsity level a while,” the head coach noted.

As for the skill position, the Cougars have plenty of athletes that can make people miss.

Defensively, the Cougars run a “50” or odd front, putting down big linemen up front and speedy backs in the back end of the defense.

“It plays well into what we want to do,” McKinney noted.

In order to counter that, the Mustangs must be diligent in not turning the ball over.

“We have to take advantage of the opportunities we have on the offensive side,” McKinney said. “We got to occupy the football, keep their offense off the field and eat up some clock. We won’t be running wing-t stuff, [but we have to] force them to make mental mistakes.”

“We control the game by controlling the line of scrimmage and controlling the football,” he continued. “For the most part, it’s going to be a ground-and-pound thing.”

Tonight’s game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kick off.