Andalusia Junior High School’s football squad opens the 2016 season tonight with a home contest against Dauphin Junior High School.

“I’m a little nervous,” first-year head coach John Dugger said. “This is my first time as a football head coach. I’ve done it for baseball, but not football. I’m just make sure my t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted.”

Dugger said he expects the Bulldogs to lean heavily on the run game.

“We’ve got four or five good backs that really get after it,” Dugger said. “The are talented and have a lot of speed. The best thing is that they all give as much effort as they can.”

The hefty Bulldog line will help get the run game going, Dugger said.

“Our running game is going to be a lot like the high school’s,” Dugger said. “We have pretty decent size on the offensive line, and they are kids that aren’t afraid to block. That is going to let us pound the ball up the middle.”

On defense, Dugger said the junior high Bulldogs would run a scheme similar to the high school Bulldogs.

“We are pretty quick on defense,” Dugger said. “At this point, we are a little unproven, but we have good speed and a couple of linebackers that really fly to the ball.”

Today’s game starts at 5:30 p.m., at the Andalusia High School stadium.