Elkins puts undefeated mark on the line against Mansfield
Posted on Friday, October 10, 2008
BROOKE McNEELY Northwest Arkansas Times Elkins wide receiver Jacob Evans (23 ) runs down the field after catching the ball during the Oct. 3 game against Lincoln at Lincoln.
ELKINS - It hasn't been easy, but the Elkins Elks have negotiated their way through five weeks of landmines to remain undefeated.
Relying on a strong defensive effort all season and a developing offensive repertoire, the Elks are 5-0 overall and 2-0 in 1-3 A play at the midpoint of the season.
"I'm really proud of the kids and the effort they have put into this season and the improvement we've made," Elkins coach Aaron Clark said.
What a great time for homecoming and a visit from the Mansfield Tigers (3-2, 0-2 ) tonight.
"It's homecoming for us, which always makes it a big week," Clark said. "It's a fun week, but we need to keep our kids focused. Homecoming is always more fun if you win."
Like the Elks, Mansfield opened the season hot, getting off to a 3-0 start, but have fallen on hard times of late opening conference play with a loss to Charleston and following up with another loss to Greenland.
"They started the season like us with three wins, but they ran into two very good teams in Charleston and Elkins," Clark said. "Mansfield's a very good football team. They like to mix things up.
"They don't really do much out of the shotgun. It's all under center out of the Dead T. But, what you really notice when you watch them is their team speed. They are probably the quickest team we've seen and maybe the smallest. "
The Tigers run a multiple defense that adapts from a five-man front to a three-man front against passing attacks. "They are going to have a nose man," Clark said. "Against Charleston in the Wing T, they ran a 50-front, but against Greenland, they played a 3-3-5 against the Spread. The way we play, we'll probably see both. "The Elks come at opponents with a mixture of the Power I to maximize their running game and the Spread when they wish to pass. Clark emphasized the importance of the game for the Elks' playoff hopes. "You look at our schedule and every team remaining on it has a winning record, " Clark said.
Something will have to give, and Clark want to make sure it won't be his Elks.
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