Eagles want to clinch

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Pleasant Home’s Tanner Veasey (55) and Troy Greathouse (56) run after a fumble during the Eagles’ region win over Florala two weeks ago. | Andrew Garner/Star-News

This isn’t going to be an ordinary week for Pleasant Home.

The Eagles will travel to face region opponent Georgiana on Friday night after three straight weeks at home.

Traveling is something PHS head football coach Cody McCain said his team will have to get used to again.

“That’s always a challenge,” McCain said.

Another challenge that awaits the Eagles is the chance at clinching a playoff berth this week.

PHS is sitting at 3-2 overall, and 3-0 in Class 1A, Region 2, and needs a win over the winless Panthers to secure a spot in the playoffs for the third straight year.

In 2010, the Eagles won in week nine to clinch a berth in the playoffs. Last year, PHS had a similar 3-0 region record to end the first half of the season and clinched early.

“It’s a big game this week,” McCain said.

Pleasant Home is coming off of a bitter 35-26 loss to Flomaton last week, where some players suffered injuries. Georgiana fell to Calhoun 44-22.

“We got beat up last week,” McCain said. “We’ve got to coach up some of these younger guys that will be playing in a lot of the same positions. Luckily, they got a lot of experience last week.

“I think nothing’s going to get them prepared more than getting in the game,” he said. “They’ll be getting some reps in at practice this week.”

McCain said Carl Whitehurst will be out this week because he injured his knee during the second play of the game last week. He said he wasn’t sure on the severity of the injury, but Whitehurst did go to the Andrews Clinic on Saturday, where they tried to perform an MRI. The swelling was too much, and the MRI will be performed either today or tomorrow.

“They did say that it was either an MCL sprain or an actual tear,” McCain said. “If it’s a sprain, he’ll miss this week, but be back for the next week. If it’s a tear, it’s a more lengthy injury.”

Additionally, Pleasant Home’s Cameron Hill, who is an essential part of the Eagles’ running game, was thought to have had a broken arm last week, but it turned out to be a bone bruise, the coach said.

“(Hill) should be good to go later in the week,” McCain said.

Other players who went out of the game last week due to injury include Douglas Smith (shoulder), Jon Cole Chesser (hand) and Hunter Odom.

“It’s all going to be some nagging type injuries that will slow them down at practice,” McCain said. “Except for Carl, they all should be issues that will take care of themselves, by Wednesday, hopefully.”

McCain said Georgiana (0-5) has a lot of speed, as always, and will have to utilize his line play, which all players are healthy, to stop the Panthers.

“Hopefully we’ll use our size as an advantage,” he said.

Kick off Friday night at Harmon Field in Georgiana is at 7.