Fairbanks receiver Tyler Beem (8) attempts to hold onto the ball during last week’s game against Benjamin Logan. The Panthers will travel to Lancaster Fisher Catholic on Friday.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Will Channell)
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Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals.
That is what the Fairbanks High School football coaching staff has been stressing this week leading up to Friday’s game at Lancaster Fisher Catholic.
“We want to see a 100 percent improvement in fundamentals on offense, defense and special teams,” said FHS head coach Patrick Cotter. “We have to have great pad levels, we need to read our defensive keys and also catch the football.”
The Panthers are coming off a 34-19 loss to Benjamin Logan, while Fisher Catholic fell to Crooksville to begin the season last week.
The Irish employ a multiple offense out of a spread formation.
“They will use doubles and trips (receivers), but we’ll also see some wing and tight end formations,” said Cotter. “I think they really want to be a spread team, but our defense will need to be ready for anything.”
Cotter said the Panther defense will have to go back to the basics it learned in training camp.
“We have to make sure our eyes are in the right places,” he said. “Fisher Catholic can fool you.”
The Irish have rotated quarterbacks between Kaden Starcher and Zach Saffell, with Saffell seeing most of the late-game action against Crooksville.
Daniel Turner is a solid wide receiver and Keegan Christie anchors the offensive line at left tackle.
Fisher Catholic appears to be as multiple on defense as it is on offense.
“We’ve seen everything from a 3-3-5 to a 4-2-5,” said Cotter. “My guess is they will go with a three-man front against our passing game.
“Their defense is athletic, but they’ve been gashed up front,” he said. “They are a very young team – playing a good deal of freshmen and sophomores – and I think they’re still trying to find their defensive identity.
“We need to get our offense back in rhythm in order to be successful on first and second down,” said Cotter. “If we do that, we can go what we want on third down.”
Roster depth may play a key role in this game.
“They’ve got seven, eight or nine guys who are playing both ways (offense and defense),” said Cotter. “We’ve got maybe three guys who do that.
“I think we’re going to be able to run them into the ground with our tempo.”
Regardless of the conditioning, Cotter said the key to victory is relatively simple.
“We just have to play team football in all facets,” he said. “We have to be sound everywhere and not give up any big plays.”