The Gosnell Pirates take on the Rivercrest Colts Friday night at J.W. Rea Field. The Pirates (2-0) are coming off a 28-18 win over Osceola a week ago. It took a fourth quarter comeback to put the Seminoles away as Osceola held a 10-point lead midway through the third quarter. Despite Rivercrest's 0-2 start, Gosnell head coach Gary Moody is preparing for just as tough of a battle this week.
"Like Osceola, it's always a tough game against Rivercrest," said Moody. "It was a real battle last year. They've lost two games but they've been good games. They've played extremely hard in both games. They're hungry for a win and probably feel like they haven't put everything together just yet."
The Colts offense begins with quarterback Marquez Chew.
"He's one of the fastest quarterbacks we'll see all year," said Moody.
Chew and junior running back Cecil Langston lead head coach Kelly Chandler's spread offense along with wide receiver Devin Tittle.
On defense, the Colts run a lot of plays out of a 3-4 base. Langston and Peyton Adams apply pressure from the end positions with Hunter Malone, Braxton Brown and Lonzi Griffin plugging the holes up the middle of the line.
"They're very aggressive on defense," said Moody. "They bring a lot of people at you to try to stop the run."
The running game is something that Moody has been very satisfied with so far after two games, and not just with Carlos Blackman. Tiberius Real, T.J. Anderson and quarterback Dwight Griffin have all shown plenty of big play ability.
"Our runners have run well," said Moody. "Our biggest thing on offense is we need more consistency, especially the passing game. Not just completing the passes but making the right blocks and getting in the correct position. I was expecting a little more especially with how we preformed and prepared over the summer.
"We haven't really shown a lot of what we're capable of."
Moody said that the Pirates red zone offense needs to be more consistent as well.
"Last year, we rarely came away empty when we got inside the 20," he said. "Last week, we had a chance for an early score but we didn't convert deep in their territory. That could have changed the entire ball game. We have to be more aggressive inside the 20 and make sure we come away with some points."
Starting off 0-2, Colt head coach Kelly Chandler knows there are plenty of areas to work on and he feels his team is beginning to turn the corner.
"We've worked on a lot of things this week," said Chandler. "We're still trying to correct our mistakes. Our defense has improved. I think we're tackling better. On offense, we have to do a better job of controlling the ball."
Chandler and his teams have always been known for throwing in a few trick plays throughout the game and they usually work. Moody says it's just a matter of being prepared for anything and trying to recognize formations so your not caught off guard.
"We have to be ready for anything," said Moody. "Our defense has been doing a great job this year. We've worked hard on always being aligned correctly before each play. Rivercrest can do so many things just out of their base formation. We have to play heads up and be alert."
On the injury side, the Pirates have been banged up the past two weeks but no one will miss any time. Dequeez Murphy suffered a hamstring injury in week one but is nearly full strength.
Blackman suffered a deep thigh bruise against Harding Academy. It didn't keep Blackman from compiling over 300 yards rushing over the first two weeks but it did keep Moody from kicking extra points in last week's game.
"We're a little banged up but our kids want to play," he said. "That's a good sign. They want to compete and they want to win."
Friday night's game starts at 7 p.m.
afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com on Twitter @CN_AaronF