BY NIC MILLER

STAR CORRESPONDENT

Hampton- After falling to Gatlinburg-Pittman during last year’s matchup, the Hampton Bulldogs are looking to make a statement for this game and more importantly the whole season. With Gatlinburg being two hours away, the Hampton football team must be able to stay sharp mentally and physically during the long bus ride. Head coach Michael Lunsford expanded saying, “Most of these guys have made that trip before which helps out tremendously. We’re gonna leave early and take our time getting there. “Our guys should be able to handle it like mature adults and know that this is a business trip and have their mind occupied on that.” When asked about the gameplan Lunsford continued, “We’ve just gotta do what we usually do. They’re big and strong with a three-year starter at quarterback. We’ve gotta be able to do multiple things against them and be as mentally sharp as we are physical.” Expanding on that idea, Lunsford gave a few keys that would shift the game’s momentum and result in a victory for his team. “We’ve got to get pressure on the quarterback and be able to defend well against the pass defensively and on the other side of the ball, we have to put as many points on the board as we can because they’re great offensively. “The game could turn into a shootout and we need to be ready for that.” “There are some guys on their team that we need to keep tabs on in this game. They’ve got a three-year starter at QB who can spin the ball very well and he’ll be throwing it a lot to their primary receiver who has some great speed. We’ve also have to watch out for their running back who is a tough guy to bring down,” Lunsford continued. “On the other hand, we’re gonna be counting on Caleb Oaks and Isaiah (Greenwell) to run the ball well for us and it all starts up front so our lineman are going to have to have a big game. “We’re also gonna need our defensive backs to lock their guys down to stop the air attack.” The Bulldogs are looking to get revenge when they travel to Gatlinburg-Pittman Friday Night in a game that could very well be a shootout between the two squads. As a team whose fans travel well, there is sure to be many fans in blue and white by the time the game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.