Still improving

No matter the record of a team, every coach is looking for continued improvement in their club.
Such is the case for the Sacred Heart Trojans. Despite their 6-2 overall record, head coach Josh Harper still believes that his team has room to get better before they venture into the post-season.
“Last week against Slaughter, I thought we were able to clean up a lot of things on the line of scrimmage that was not getting done in the previous few games,” stated Harper. “I felt we did a good job of executing the run game. We challenged the offensive line to get it right or changes would have to be made, and they met that challenge.”
“But, we lost a little focus in the passing game with that improvement in the run game,” he continued. “We are going to have to have both our running game and passing game clicking before we head into the playoffs.”
The Trojans will get the chance to get those areas perfected tonight night, as they host the Hanson Tigers in a non-district contest. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
“Slaughter was a good test for us,” said Harper. “They ran a good scheme and had some good looking players. I was really impressed by their effort. They were very well coached and fought the entire game.”
One steady part of the Sacred Heart season so far has the been the play of the defense. Looking at the number of points that Sacred Heart gives up on average per game (23.8), makes it seem that the Trojans should not have the record they do.
However, most of the points surrendered by the defense have come late in ball games when the starting unit has already been lifted. According to Harper, the Trojans are playing good enough defense to carry them deep in to the playoffs.
“Defensively, we have played extremely well this year,” commented Harper. “The only time we really had a hard time, especially up front, was against Catholic (Pointe Coupee). But, I can say that our defensive effort has been tremendous all season.”
That defensive effort will be needed tonight night, as the Tigers come into the game averaging 20 points per game on offense.
“Hanson is a gritty team,” said Harper. “They are not very big, but play extremely hard. They remind me a lot of Basile in how hard they play. They lost a really tough one to Central Catholic last week. I expect them to be one of the better teams we have faced in the last few weeks.”
“It will be a challenge for us defensively because they run the zone read really well,” he continued. “They throw the ball very effectively. Defensively, they are a split four team that will show a 4-3 look at times and a 4-2-5 look at other times. Our offensive line will have to continue to make the right calls in the run game.”
Asked if playing on a Thursday night would be a concern for the Trojans, Harper answered quickly.
“It is going to be a hectic week for sure, but we have had to play on a quick turn around before, so it should not present a problem.”