Sending a message

If the Sacred Heart Trojans were trying to send a message to the rest of the football world, they are doing a darn good job of it.
Sacred Heart is 2-0 on the young season and has shown vast improvements from last season in every category. The Trojans will look to stay perfect on the season, as they host Houma Christian this Friday night at Soileau/Landry field.
With a win, Sacred Heart would be 3-0 to start the season; the first time since 2009. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
One of the biggest areas of improvement for the young Trojan squad is turnover margin. Sacred Heart is positive six in that area. According to head coach Josh Harper, that is something that did not happen last year.
“We are getting more and more comfortable with the offense and it really shows,” stated Harper. “The players are more confident in their assignments and are so much more disciplined. Last season there were a number of games that we turned the ball over in crucial situations and it cost us. If we can continue to lead in the turnover battle, we will continue to be successful.”
Improvement has also come in the running game for Sacred Heart. Against Port Barre this past Friday, the Trojans rushed for 222 yards on 49 carries. This stat is even more impressive, when you consider that Sacred Heart was without one of their starting linemen.
“We started two players on the line that had not taken a snap in their high school career, one of them a freshman,” said Harper. “That was huge for those guys to step in and play the way they did. The offensive line as a whole has been exciting to watch.”
Defensively, Sacred Heart made some big strides against Port Barre. After giving up over 350 total yards to Iota two weeks ago, the Trojans only allowed 99 total yards to the Red Devils. According to Harper, having a defense that is more reactive is a big plus.
“I think we are able to read situations a lot better than last year,” commented Harper. “It comes with experience. Our players have a better feel for the defensive scheme and that makes them more physical, which leads to more turnovers. I thought we did a tremendous job of controlling the line of scrimmage against Port Barre.”
With all of the improvements that Sacred Heart has made this season, Harper knows there is still room for his team to get better.
“We have to get better throwing the ball,” said Harper. “We have been working on our spread game and it starting to come around, but we have to be able to complement our run game. It is a work in progress.’
The Trojans will face a Houma Christian team that is 1-1 on the year after losing 35-14 to False River last week.Sacred Heart defeated the Warriors 49-21 last season. Despite their record, Harper knows that Ouachita Christian comeswith some game experience.
“They have a number of returners from last year, including their quarterback who is a really good athlete,” said Harper. “They want to get him in run/pass option situations. They have a shifty running back. They are big up front, especially on defense. The key for us is to contain their best player and to continue winning the turnover battle.”