Bulldogs prepare for round 3
Published 12:00 am Friday, May 5, 2017
It’s all history in the making at this point, but the Andalusia Bulldog soccer team isn’t ready to close their chapter as the prepare for the third round of the AHSAA state tournament on Saturday in Mobile.
In the round three, the Class 4A Bulldogs will take on No. 5-ranked Class 5A St. Paul.
“They are a solid team,” Andalusia head coach Jarrett Williamson said. “They are well coached and they have a lot of experience. There is no substitute for experience.”
While Williamson said that St. Paul presents a challenge, he said his Bulldogs are no slouches.
“They are a good team and probably will be the most physical team that we have faced all year,” Williamson said. “They are going to be good, but I think we are a pretty good team ourselves.”
The important thing will be how the players react to the situation, Williamson said.
“The biggest thing is going to be how we handle the moment,” Williamson said. “We are a good team, so how we handle the moment will be as big as anything else. We just want to do the same things that got us to 13-1 and into the third round of the playoffs.”
As for St. Paul, Williamson said that Bulldogs must not become overwhelmed with the their pace of play.
“They are an up tempo team,” Williamson said. “We are going to have to be prepared to run and defend. They are going to be extremely physically and you almost have to come in their with a football mind set. We just can’t allow ourselves to get overwhelmed by their pace.”
To counter the St. Paul pace, Williamson said that Bulldogs must set the tone.
“Trying to control the ball and not allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by them is what we have to do,” Williamson said. “We have to control our nerves and focus on us. If we focus on us, the rest is going to take care of itself. Just focus on us and block everything else out.”
This week at practice, Williamson said the his team is ready for the third round action.
“These kids have some great practices this week,” Williamson said. “They are excited, but they are focused on the task at hand. This kids are still hungry and they aren’t ready for the season to be over.”
The game between Andalusia and St. Paul will be Saturday at 7 p.m., in Mobile.