FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Oates says Warriors must eliminate crucial mistakes

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on September 23, 2016 9:59 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

It's been a busy couple of weeks in the Eastern Wayne football camp.

The Warriors have worked through some "in-house" adversity, talked about better offensive execution inside the red zone and learned the importance of accountability -- on and off the field.

Now it's time to wipe the slate clean.

A new season is here and it begins tonight.

Eastern Wayne (2-2 overall) plays host to South Central (3-2) in the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference opener for both teams. The Falcons put their three-game win streak to the test, while the Warriors look to snap a two-game skid.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. in New Hope.

"Our guys know that it will take all 11 guys on the field working together," said Warriors head coach Leander Oates, who offered no additional explanation concerning the clubhouse drama.

"(The in-house problems) are lessons learned that I believe are going to do nothing but help us in the long run. It challenged some of our guys. We took the chance to clean up some things with our personnel, get some guys in the right positions to help us move on in the conference."

Oates hopes the shift in the clubhouse wakes up a team that has yet to show its potential. Eastern Wayne has scored 14 or more points in each of its four outings, but has also been its own worst enemy.

Penalties inside the opponent's red zone have been the Warriors' biggest adversary. Oates attributed it to lack of discipline. Players need to hold themselves accountable for actions that move the football backwards instead of forwards.

Execution is critical.

Dual-threat quarterback Zeke Best continues to progress, but must take what he views on tape and apply it during the game. The first-year signal caller has been encouraged to control the tempo and understand what to do with the ball when his options are limited.

Tuck it and run.

Or look for two weapons -- Malyk Williams and Matt Askew-Betts. An all-around athlete, Williams has amassed less than 300 all-purpose yards and just one touchdown in 16 quarters of action. Betts has missed live game time due to an injury, but is expected to start in the backfield against the Falcons.

"We're trying to make Malyk more than just a running back and have him understand in the recruiting world that he is what they call an 'athlete'," Oates said. "You can put him anywhere on the field. At any given time at any position, he can contribute. He's starting to understand that.

"Once Matt completely gets healthy, he's going to be the dominant back that he was starting off the season."

Oates contends the offensive line must attack, sustain blocks and open lanes to establish the running game. EW has amassed 700 rushing yards. Best has 390 yards on 30 completions.

SC is expected to counter with a defense that crowds the box and excels in the secondary. The Warriors have to show some creativity, use their ability and agility on the field.

"While watching film, they have capitalized on the other team's penalties and mistakes," Oates said.