Opelika Football Week 2 Callaway Preview

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is the Coach Brian Moore Show with Opelcah had
football coach Brian Moore and now with Coach Moore, the
voice of the Bulldogs Man Wregs.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Week one win for the Opelikah Bulldogs off Benjamin Russell
Van Rags alongside Coach Brian Moore and coach I Know,
congratulations on your first win as head coach of Opelakah.
I know a lot went into this game, and just
kind of talk about your thoughts after picking up the
big win.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah, just excited for the kids, you know, excited for
the community and that's a tough place to play in
alex City and they got a great team and we're
even in my opinion, more talented than I expected. Some
kids had grown up a lot over the summer for
them and Coach Grider's done a great job of getting
ready to play. But it was a great night for
us because all the anticipation, you know, there's a lot
of excitement. You go through that honeymoon phase, uh, and

(00:57):
you just hope that it works out. You know, that
first one wouldn't have been the end of the world,
I know, but uh, you still a lot of work
went into it. And it's like because Blackman and I
talked and he said, you know, you just need something
good to happen early, and uh, and I think it did,
you know, And that was a great start. Obviously we
scored on play one, which I don't know I've ever
had that happen, especially not starting at a new place.

(01:18):
But just just proud of our kids and showed some resilience.
You know. There were some obstacles there Friday night and
some self inflicted things that we got to get cleaned
up that, uh, we're gonna work hard on this week
and have already. But just again all the hard work,
you know. And but that's just step one, you know,
it's just the beginning. And uh, we fully expect to

(01:38):
play better in game two. You know the old coaches
all say, coach, and you know, we better be getting
better from game one to two. It's the biggest jump.
And it's right because you find out who's going to
compete under the lights. That's a different you know, practice
is one thing, but a competing for full quarters not
just a half against somebody else, I think makes a difference.
And so we'll see how much better we can be
from last week to this coming week.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
And you team really had to respond from momentum swings too.
When you got up fourteen nothing, benjam Russell came out answer,
made it to fourteen. Seven games seemed like the momentum
was in their side, and you had to do it
again too in the second half when the game was
you know, twenty one to fourteen.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah, we couldn't push it out, couldn't get the three scores,
and you know, they fought and we always talked about
the first five minutes of the second half and we
didn't start very well, but huge answers both from you know,
both from kolbe Won to Jamari and then obviously want
to Jalen. That were plays of the game, but great
and so much went into that, you know, as we
evaluated those plays and all eleven being right and you know,

(02:34):
protecting him and holding up, but just responding, especially on
third and thirteen, you know, to Jalen to find him
and be on time with that throw and then Jalen
to run after the catch, and just just proud of
that response. I think that's something I was hunting for,
you know, the bounce back, the resilience, and because I
didn't seen that, you know, as I've watched through things,
and you know, we talked a lot about late game,

(02:55):
you know, into the game scenarios and not finishing and
having an opportunity to win so many times the last
couple of years, and just proud to see them push
through and stretch that lead out and then to finish
with the ball at the end, you know, to be
close to score and probably could have, but decided to
take our foot off the gas, but to finish with
the ball, make a first down, run out the clock,
and not put their talented offense back on the field.
I thought it was huge.

Speaker 4 (03:15):
What about the nine two from Calvin Hugley.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
You mentioned the first play he set the tone scoring,
but he also during the game with a run after
contact that he had in that game was huge.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
I don't think the first man brought him down all night.
You know, he had tons of the yards after contact.
Just really proud of Calvin. That's always been there. You know,
it's just our job to pull it out of him,
and now his job is to do it again. You know,
don't just be a flute deal. But he told me
this morning we were talking, we had lifted and everything,
and he said, he said, I feel better than I
ever have. And I said, well, you definitely look like it.
I mean, that was the most explosive, consistent version of

(03:47):
Calvin great ball security, wanting the football all night. And
he asked me, he said that you're gonna give it
to me twenty times this week. I said, we're going
to say, we got other great backs that are gonna
get it too, and we want longevity. You know, we
wanted to make it through the whole year. But but
he's certainly a workhorse and an explosive, dynamic player. And
just had a special.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Night talk about your defense a little bit. I know
they were on the field a lot, a lot of
snaps for them. Yeah, and you know there were some
great things in the huge series there at the end
when they needed to make a stop, they made it.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yeah, we weren't very good on third down on either side,
which therefore we're off the field on offense and on
the field on defense. Can't get off you know. The
one that sticks out is third and twenty five and
it extends drives. Those are body blows, you know, so
to speak, where you're having to play too many snaps
like we played forty one first half defensive snaps. We
played twenty two snaps against Clay Choppao on defense, so

(04:35):
we almost doubled that in a half.

Speaker 5 (04:37):
You know.

Speaker 3 (04:37):
Part of that is we had explosive plays on offense
that were long strikes. And the other part is we
didn't get off the field on third down, so we
got to clean that up.

Speaker 5 (04:45):
You know.

Speaker 3 (04:45):
I felt like Ben Ross had a really good plan
to then gate you know, Amari and Malik and some
of those guys, you know, but we can't play that
long and we got a sub and rotate. We got
to trust our second group. And that's what I'm pushing
for because as I watched film a year ago, too
many snaps for d Lineman. That's your late game issue,
you know, And so we talked a lot about that
and rotating pieces. We played over twenty kids on defense Friday.

(05:07):
We want to keep doing that both for now and
to Bill for the future, you know, to make sure
that we're getting depth and getting guys game reps. So,
but too many plays we got get off the field.
Got to be better in the situational part of the game.
They were one for one in the red zone, scored
their only time in where we cut one loose. Those
specific things we just got to clean up.

Speaker 4 (05:27):
I think one thing that stood out to me was
there wasn't many miss tackles.

Speaker 3 (05:30):
Yeah, I thought we tackled well. You know, we didn't
tackle up front as good as we did. Like Amori
missed one and we had a Josh daw he came
in and missed one, had a run through on his
first snap of the game and missed, and so we
had some of those. But I thought, you know, Carson
Moss really tackled well. Kebian had his best night. You know,

(05:50):
he had a bust in coverage, but as far as tackling,
he was really good. Tyrese Pitts is such a dog.
I mean he plays so dang hard. And ty Hudson
had thirteen tackles and good to have that guy on our.
Tyler Moore's first real varsity game, I think he had
eight or nine tackles and just had a really good night.
A huge sack late. You know, Tyler got him and
then Carson got him the next place, So please start tackling.

(06:12):
That's always got improved. We got tackle lower on the
d line. Everything was really high. Even Aj had some
big shots on the quarterback and running back, but both
were high. We got to get those guys lower because
really good backs. As our opponents improved, you know they're
going to come out of those high tackles. They're so
strang like Calvin does, and so we got to do
a better job. But I was pleased with where we
were tackling for Game one.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
All right, callaway comes in Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.
This is a team I know that people may not
have been real familiar with when this series started back
in twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen, but it's been split fifty
to fifty in the wins and losses, and I know
this is a tough team coach by really good coaching
Pete Wiggins, and talk about what you've seen on film.

Speaker 3 (06:49):
Well, for me, I don't know a ton about him either.
You know, this is my first opportunity to compete against
those guys as well, so that was not a deal
before I left in fifteen, So I don't know a
ton about it. Them have watched all the games. Obviously
super talented, you know, look a lot like us from
a player standpoint, really physical team. You know they will

(07:11):
play some guys both ways, which we don't really have to.
We will here and there in spots, but uh, they'll
do that. But they always have dudes obviously. You know,
they don't have tank bigsby right now, thank goodness. But
they got some quality high school football players and so
you know it's different, you know, systematically, a lot of
twenty one personnel, a lot of tight end wing, a
lot of run, a lot of Q run. So we'll

(07:32):
have to buckle up now and play, you know, because
it'll be it'll be a physical box all night long.
Huge fullback d tackle plays fullback also, so I don't
know how big he is, two fifty two sixty Yeah, yeah,
he's a big cat. And so they're gonna come at us,
you know, and so we'll have to be able to
squeeze and play our gaps and make sure we're right
in the run fit and tackle well again from the

(07:52):
third level especially. But we're excited. I mean, that's a
cool border war type deal, you know. I think it's
a cool game to play, and you know, they'll have
a great team and I know they'll bring a big
crowd in our first game too, so that'll be exciting
as well.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, talking to my friends over there in that area,
they're really excited about coming over. They really like the
trip and they like the series and it's been a
good one. Yeah, and you look at the games, it's
been down to a player too that decides it too, for.

Speaker 6 (08:15):
Sure, for sure.

Speaker 3 (08:15):
So yeah, we're excited about that and again hopefully our people.
We feel like, you know, we're going to pack this
thing out and see the new turf and Joe Tron.
I know a lot of people have seen it already
with the Spring and meet the Bulldogs, but you.

Speaker 6 (08:27):
Know, I hope to see everybody there early. Hope our
student section is and how great was our band.

Speaker 3 (08:31):
I think they had two penalties that they forced on
Ben Russell Friday night, so they just did a great
job man, and just proud of that as well.

Speaker 6 (08:39):
So we're looking forward to Friday.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
All right, Thursday, you can get a good preview. First
Baptist Church Opalaika your annual lunch and it's going to
be a weekly luncheon that you have where you'll talk
about the game, talk about last week's win over Benjamin Russell,
and kind of preview the next opponent.

Speaker 6 (08:51):
Right, yeah, twelve to one, three sixteen center at the church.
It's open.

Speaker 3 (08:55):
We ask people at RSVP if they will on our
Facebook page, you know, hope like a football. But if not,
just text me. You know, most people have my number
or whatever, and just you know, tell me you're coming.
That would be great, so I can get a food count.
If not, just show up anyway, But it's a lot
of fun, you know, And I'll come from different angles
on Thursdays for that to where you know, all in
like different coaches and players to come and speak.

Speaker 6 (09:16):
So it's not just me. And it's a great meal.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
They do a great job there at the church and
anyway of feeding's but it's ten dollars, it's all and
really that just pays the food costs.

Speaker 6 (09:25):
The show is free, how about that. So anyway, it's
a lot of fun. But we're trying to highlight our players.

Speaker 3 (09:30):
I mean, we're trying to give people an inside look
at the program that you won't get anywhere else. You know,
it's one thing to sit up in the stands and
watch it, but it's another to go through the film
and to be able to replace stuff and all that.

Speaker 6 (09:41):
So and we'll look at Calaway as well. I'll show
some key players in that and you know, just to
kind of get people excited about the game and to
know what to look for it.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
All right, I'll kind of be like first game all
over again Friday night, first home game too, There's no doubt.

Speaker 5 (09:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (09:54):
So you know, we we spring was one thing, and
we had a lot of the new toys that we
have out there. You know, We've done some things like
little things like painting our goalpost and that was a
nice sool where you know, you know, it's.

Speaker 6 (10:05):
Like your house.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
You get something new in there and then it shows
the bad parts of something else.

Speaker 5 (10:09):
You know.

Speaker 3 (10:09):
And so we we've done a great job doctor Seymour
and everybody, and Michielder and all of them that have
kind of pitched in and Jamie Williams and everybody to
make this look really nice.

Speaker 6 (10:18):
And and then the light show, you know, in.

Speaker 3 (10:20):
The in the spring, we didn't do that, and I'm
not a huge like light show guy, but I know
the kids love it.

Speaker 6 (10:25):
That's what it's about. We're still creating an experience for.

Speaker 3 (10:28):
Young people and excitement, and that light show is gonna
correlate with our jumbo tron and our intro video. Will
work really hard on being really organized there, and like
when the band plays and you know, and making sure
everybody's accommodated, you know throughout the you know, the for
the officials and the chain crew and the press box crew,
and we worked really hard at that stuff and we're
gonna continue to so you know, again we're excited about

(10:51):
the whole thing, you know, coming together and playing four
quarters at home.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
All right, kick off seven o'clock Bulldog Stadium Friday night.
But first we're gonna talk to offensive coordinator j D.
A can just continue with The Brian Moore Show. Welcome
back here on the Brian Moore Show. Van Raised alongside
with the offensive coordinator j D Atkins and JD tell
us just about the first game.

Speaker 4 (11:14):
What you thought, what stands out to you?

Speaker 7 (11:16):
Yeah, like Coach kind of said, it's a great opportunity
for our kids to get out there and compete.

Speaker 5 (11:21):
You know, there's been a lot of excitement and a
lot of.

Speaker 7 (11:23):
Buzz since January of what this would be like, and
so kind of a good way to go ahead and
pop the balloon and get it out of the way,
you know. And I thought our kids competed well. I
thought some kids stepped up and rose to the occasion,
and we kind of found out a lot about you know,
who is really who when the lights are on, and
so that was good to see. And then obviously it's
great to get to win. Obviously not as pretty as

(11:44):
we want it to be, and we got a lot
to clean up moving forward, but it is exciting to
start off on the right foot. Heading into your first home.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
Game this week, What was your emotions like your calling
plays for your old school, I know, offensive coordinator and
that Bulldog uniform on the sidelines.

Speaker 7 (11:58):
Yeah, I tell everybody has asked me, it was a
really weird experience, you know, not just you know, obviously
I worked a year at Benjamin Russell, so knowing a
lot of faces and a lot of people there, and
then also a first game as an open like a
Bulldog as a coach now just kind of a blender
of emotions. You know, a lot of pride obviously in

(12:19):
the red and black and the bulldog logo, and excited
for the opportunity and grateful for the opportunity to get
to be back here and hoping, you know, for a
long time to come.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
I mentioned, you know, some of the youngsters that made
place for you. Kobe Keek Course, sophomore quarterback seven and eight.
Good night for him with two touchdowns through the air.
And then Jalen Washington, a guy that's a junior, but
that was his first touchdown reception as a Bulldog.

Speaker 5 (12:41):
Yes, sir, so proud of Jalen Washington. Uh.

Speaker 7 (12:43):
You mentioned that big play on a on a third
and long to kind of answer one of their touchdowns
and put it away late.

Speaker 5 (12:48):
That's a kid who has worked his tail.

Speaker 7 (12:50):
Off all summer, off spring, off fall camp, just does
everything right. And it was really not a more deserving
kid to have that moment than Jalen Washington.

Speaker 5 (12:59):
And then Kolby.

Speaker 7 (13:00):
He stepped up in a big way. You know, obviously
as a sophomore quarterback.

Speaker 5 (13:03):
Coming into that game.

Speaker 7 (13:04):
You know, we were pretty conservative early, try to let
him kind of grow into the game and feel his
way out. But when we did turn him loose, i
mean seven of eight, two big touchdown throws and kids
got ice in his veins, and I think he's gonna
be making plays here for a long time.

Speaker 4 (13:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:18):
And you talk about the atmosphere that they were thrown into.
I mean, Benjamin Russell Stadium is a huge venue. It's
very intimidating. There was a lot of fans on both sides.
So I don't think they'll see a roade venue or
they'll see some comparable ones, but it was certainly quite
an atmosphere on Friday night.

Speaker 5 (13:32):
Yeah, what a way to start.

Speaker 7 (13:33):
You know, I haven't worked at ben Us for a year,
I can speak to kind of that experience there. It's
a great place to play, probably one of the best
natural grass places to play in the state of Alabama.

Speaker 5 (13:42):
You know, they do such a great job with the
city there, I taking care of it, and then.

Speaker 7 (13:45):
Coach Grider has done a great job there of kind
of bringing some life back into that program. And obviously,
you know had the big year last year, and you know,
the place was packed on both sides. And what a
great high school football environment to start things off. And
you know, a cool way for us, like you said,
to test some young guys and I see how they
handle that, And I thought, I thought.

Speaker 5 (14:02):
Our kids responded. Really proud of the way they did all.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
Right from week one to week two. What would you
like to see out of your offense improve on this week?

Speaker 7 (14:09):
Yeah, so kind of the word You've probably heard me
coach more all the coaches have said it a million
times since January.

Speaker 5 (14:14):
But it's consistency.

Speaker 7 (14:16):
You know, we had our first five drives of the
game against Ben and Russell, two scored touchdowns and two
were holding call, backed up, stalled, had to punt, and
so kind of the back and forth to hot and cold.
We've got to learn to kind of string some drives
together and kind of finish those games, put them away,
you know, kind of like Coach more mentioned, you know,

(14:37):
we got the game to two score several times and
could never really push it to three scores, you know,
for whatever reason.

Speaker 5 (14:43):
But I'd like to find our kind.

Speaker 7 (14:45):
Of our consistency there and cleanness there up front. You know,
we're an older offensive line group, but a lot of
inexperience there too. And so you know, brand new center, making,
brand new calls, all those type of things. I'd like
to see is clean that up a little bit. I
thought they played tremendous obviously, rush the football for over
two hundred yards six yards of cary.

Speaker 5 (15:02):
That was massive for a first game.

Speaker 7 (15:04):
But want to see them take the next step because
that group, you know, Coach Fleman talked about it this
morning his meeting with them.

Speaker 5 (15:10):
We've got eight guys that played in that game, Friday night.

Speaker 7 (15:12):
On the offensive line plus four tight end fullbacks that
played in the game Friday night, that's a potential to
be probably one of the best box units in the
state of Alabama.

Speaker 5 (15:22):
And I think I think we just got to keep
pushing to clean it up and we'll get there with
that group.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
Yeah, I think one thing that people don't really talk
about a lot about is the center position. But when
you got good snaps all game long by Jackson Lee,
I thought that was huge, and that's his first time
really playing center.

Speaker 7 (15:36):
It was, And what it was fantastic for me to
see was first play the game, you know, we run
buck sweep into our boundary, we get a certain front
where he's got to make a check call and he
becomes a puller and he pulls out and pancakes a
kid to start the game. And so again you talk
about sophomore quarterback and all these guys that are experiencing
the lights for the first time, Well that's his first
seven a taste of football too, and to see him

(15:58):
respond that way physically, he was one of our top
three or four guys in knockdowns Friday night and played
really physically, really well, and.

Speaker 5 (16:04):
We put a lot on him mentally with a lot of.

Speaker 7 (16:06):
Calls, whether it's pass pro or run game checks with
different fronts, and we thought he handled that really well.
Obviously there's some things he's got to improve on, but
really really proud of him and that whole group Friday.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
Night, coach, excited to see your group again improve from
week to week, and I know we'll see a big
improvement from week one.

Speaker 5 (16:21):
To week two. Yes, sir, thank you so much.

Speaker 4 (16:23):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
That's coach J. D Atkins, offensive coordinator. Don't forget Opa
like a football hosting callaway Friday night under the lights
of Bulldog Stadium kick off seven o'clock Bulldog Tailgate Show
coverage begins at six on ninety seven point seven Kicker
FM and our iHeartRadio app, and of course TV video
coverage on the NFHS Network. Coach Bryan Moore's weekly lunch
and don't forget Thursday at noon First Baptist Church in

(16:44):
Opal Like band O Rama also coming up Thursday night
at Bulldog Stadium, starting I believe at six thirty or
six forty five, So make sure and get out there
for that as well. We'll see you next week well
after a big week hopefully big win over the Cavalier
Calaway Cavaliers, and we'll be previewing the rivalry game against
the Auburn High Tigers next week right here on The
Brian Moore Show.