Does the Bob Jones Football team have a lot to prove this season? Apparently they do not, at least according to fellow Patriot coaches and players. After graduating forty seniors last year, the Patriots have taken a beating in the national and state rankings falling from #400 to #973 in the national rankings and from #18 to #31 in the state rankings according maxreps.com. The Patriots’ defensive coordinator, Coach Bryan Styles, quotes a famous line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to describe the future of the Patriots. He says, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” He adds by saying, “I have confidence in this team. You can’t compare players’ athletic ability from last year to this year. The only thing that matters is how players perform under those Friday night lights. So these polls may have us ranked low, but they become meaningless when both teams take that field.”
Bob Jones currently has a 2-1 record overall. Coming off a 72-point shutout win over new cross-town rival James Clemens, they expect to take that momentum into this week’s game against the Florence Falcons who are also coming off a big victory over Buckhorn. The Patriots who run a no-huddle style spread offense hope to keep the tempo at a fast pace level. Bob Jones’ schedule is not easy as they have to play difficult road games at Hazel Green and at Muscle Shoals, and at home against Decatur and Austin. Although the Patriots face tough competition this season, they hope to take one game at a time and play to the best of their ability.
