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Bath looks to rebound against East Hardy
By Geoff Cox • Staff Writer
 | | Bath receiver Jim King hauls in a first quarter pass for a first down. King caught three passes for 26 yards Friday evening against the Buffalo Gap Bison. |
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WARM SPRINGS — Coming off last week's respectable loss to the Buffalo Gap Bison the Bath County Chargers will be looking to vent some of their frustrations on an East Hardy Cougar team that they beat by 22 points last year.H
owever, the 28-6 win was closer than it looks on paper. Until Bath scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the game was a tight 7-6 contest.
"We're in a little better shape than last year," said second-year Cougar coach Chad Williams. Last year the Cougars were a freshman heavy squad everywhere except the skill positions. "The line is all sophomores across the board," he added. Concluding, "Last year they were all freshmen, only get better with time."
Returning along with the whole line is receiver Devon Orndorff. Orndorff (6'2", 175) will be the primary target for 5'7', 150 pound freshman quarterback Kollin Foltz.
He's (Foltz) is looking all right," said Williams. "He's stepping up."
 | | Charger quarterback Michael Robertson breaks through a hole in the line and heads toward the end zone. Robertson picked up 16 yards and made it to the nine- yard line before going down. The Chargers scored on the next play. |
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Bath coach Will Fields has seen the tapes on Foltz and is not underestimating the young leader.
"He's not bad," Fields said. "He throws the ball pretty well and runs well enough to hurt you."
The Cougars have senior tailback Tyler Brill (6', 167) and junior fullback Logan Whetzel (5'9", 232) following their fairly large line toward the Bath defense.
After facing the Bison backs the Bath front line will be ready to go this week. Brill and Whetzel may find the ground game a tough row to hoe.
The Cougars were pass happy last year and Fields expects to see more of the same from East Hardy's spread system.
With a freshman quarterback on the road at Carl F. Williams Field it may be a challenge. Especially against a defense that nearly shut down the defending state champs.
The East Hardy Cougars will likely get trapped this weekend after venturing south to Bath. The Chargers will be hungry and ready to get after somebody, that body will be the Cougars.
Expect the Bath defense to make some game-changing plays from their 3-5-3 defensive set and send the offense forward with momentum. The Charger running game that gained as many yards as the Bison on the ground last week will have holes to run through again.
When they choose to pass the Chargers will catch the Cougars off guard and should break some big plays as well.
The one variable that will determine the game, as it did last week, are turnovers. If the Chargers give away more than they take consider the following prediction null and void.
RECORDER PREDICTION:
Bath 17, East Hardy 0
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