I am not real good when it comes to predictions, especially when it comes to predicting who will win and who will lose.

So, I won't use this space to talk about how the Andalusia Bulldogs will win the season opener against the Charles Henderson Trojans tonight and jinx them.

It will be the first game ever played in the newly-renovated Movie Gallery Memorial Stadium on the campus of Troy State University.

I will not pick Andalusia to win, but I think they can pull off what many football "experts" would consider an upset.

Charles Henderson is a larger school and is loaded with talent, but Andalusia can whip 'em.

The key is for the Bulldogs to act like the crazed junkyard dogs behind the "Beware of Dog" sign. Andalusia needs to come out and hit the Trojans in the mouth on the opening kickoff and then do it again on the first play of the game.

The Bulldogs need to send a message that they are ready to play. They need to show their bite is worse than their bark.

Andalusia's players, especially on defense, need to play to the whistle. They need to be aggressive and be excited about hitting a Trojan hard enough to knock his mouthpiece out.

If one Bulldogs appears to have a player stopped the rest of the pack can't stand there and watch or slowly jog to the ball.

The Bulldogs must attack hard and fast enough to break free of their chains and punish the ballcarrier.

Tackling the man with the ball is one thing, but not near as fun as the old "Kill the man with the Ball" game we all played growing up.

The rules should be observed. No Bulldog player should take this column as an excuse to play dirty or throw a late hit.

It has been a long summer. Tons of hours have been dedicated to working out in the weightroom, running through drills on the practice field, competing in scrimmages and a preseason game.

All those things were work.

Now, it's time to play and have some fun. Strap on your shoulder pads, bite down on your mouthpiece and snap your helmet tight.

The Trojans have no idea what they have in store for them if the Bulldogs will just play like a bunch of crazed dogs.

Come off the line of scrimmage on a mission. Throw a block so hard and fast it knocks the defense lineman back a few feet - if not on his back.

Fly down the field on kick coverage, square up and let the ballcarrier have it. Unleash all of that energy with one big hit.

Think about all the work that has gone into this season. All the hours of sweat spent with teammates in the weightroom and on the practice field. Think about all those agility drills and conditioning exercises. How many miles did the Bulldog players run to get in football shape?

The coaches have the players ready, the fans are excited about a new season. The players have an opportunity to prove all those "experts" wrong.

More importantly, the Bulldogs have a chance to go out there and have fun flying around the field making jaw-dropping hits and scoring on perfectly executed plays. Yes, it is time to have fun - winning is fun.

John Wallace is the sports editor of, and columnist for, The Andalusia Star-News.