Baker takes on No. 6 team
While the Ida Baker Bulldogs gained a measure of confidence with its first victory of the season last week, they won’t be resting on their laurels when they take the field tonight to host Braden River.
The Pirates (2-0) are ranked No. 6 in this week’s Class 7A top 10 poll, one slot higher than South Fort Myers (2-0). While it felt good to get that first win, the Class 6A Bulldogs (1-1) are tackling the challenge head-on.
“We have to try to tire them out,” said Bulldogs coach Brian Conn. “They are big up front, one at 300-plus pounds. They are very well coached and we need to use our uptempo style to hopefully wear them down.”
Conn said the offense moved the ball well at a good tempo in their 49-12 win at North Port. They did some things well early, like recovering an onside kickoff and the defense forcing several three-and-out series.
“The kids executed the game plan very well,” said Conn. “(QB) Jordan (Diggs) has had three really good back-to-back weeks, including the fall classic, throwing for over 300 yards in the first two games and 286 and two TDs last Friday.”
Conn said Diggs is making good decisions for the most part.
“He got the ball to 10 different receivers, which we need to do and hasn’t forced things,” he added.
The Bulldogs’ defense has shown the most improvement since fall practice started last month.
“With the extra weeks of practice before school started we’re about as prepared as we need to be (for district),” Conn said.
Baker’s District 6A-10 journey begins next week against Charlotte at Bulldogs Stadium.
In other games of interest tonight LaBelle (1-1) visits Mariner (1-1); Island Coast (0-2) searches for its first victory at Sarasota; Estero (0-2) hosts North Fort Myers (0-2); Bishop Verot (2-0) travels to Lakeland Christian; and Oasis (0-1) hosts Spring Hills at the Storms Complex.
Elsewhere around Lee County For Myers (1-1) invades Cypress Lake (0-1), Lehigh (0-1) hosts South Fort Myers (2-0), Riverdale (1-1) visits Dunbar(1-0), East Lee County (1-0) journeys to Sebring, Gateway Charter (0-2) goes to Evangelical Christian (0-1), Admiral Farragut hosts SWF?Christian (2-0), and Canterbury (0-1) plays at Faith Christian in Orlando.