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BY AUSTIN ALEXANDER
STAR CORRESPONDENT
HAMPTON – The Hampton Bulldogs always knew that their game at Daniel Boone was going to be a tough one. Playing a team three classifications above you, away from home and then in the rain made for an incredibly steep uphill battle.

For the Bulldogs, last weeks game never happened and the focus is now on their game against Monterey.

The run-heavy Bulldog offense gave Daniel Boone some issues on Friday, but most of the success came earlier in the game and the Blazers made the right adjustments to halt the Hampton offense which can’t happen on Friday.

The swarming defense looked formidable against pretty much every opponent the Bulldogs have seen this year, so there’s likely not going to be much concern on that side of the ball aside from making sure they continue to do what they have been and executing fundamentally.

The real key not only against Monterey, but perhaps also a deep playoff run, is for Conor Jones and the offense to show off their passing game.

Clearly this is a running team and the bulk of the offense should remain the same, but breaking up runs more often with some passes, maybe a little play action could be the secret weapon the Bulldogs need.

They’ll be coming up against a pretty stingy Monterey defense that’s allowing very few points this year, so scoring early could also play a big role in the Bulldogs success. Proving you can score on a good side is an incredible confidence booster.

Home field advantage is also big for the Bulldogs as there’s always a rowdy crowd anytime football is being played in the ‘Dog Pound. Hampton will be sure to make sure they cash in on the opportunity as the talent is deep on this roster and the home field is an added bonus.

The regular season is over and the really important games kickoff now. The Bulldogs will be looking to keep that memory short and focus on the fundamentals. If you do the little thing a right, usually everything else starts to fall into place.

Friday night the Hampton Bulldogs welcome in the Monterey Wildcats in first-round action of the TSSAA 2-A football playoffs. Kickoff at Hampton is 7 pm.