The Wildcats (1-2, 1-2 Region 5-AAAAA) are coming off their first win of the season, but run into one of the hottest teams in the state on Friday night.
"Obviously you're going to feel better after a victory than you would a loss. They are a good football team and it will take us playing out best game we've played all year, by far. I think our kids are excited about doing it. They have a chance to go play a good football team, on their field and not many people are giving us a chance to win, but that's why you play the game. You go get after it and see what happens when it's all over," Falleur said.
The fifth ranked Raiders (4-0, 4-0) haven't just won all four games this season, they have been dominant. Especially in the last three weeks as the East Paulding defense has three straight shutouts winning the three games by a combined score of 148-0.
The second-year VR coach doesn't believe there is much secret to the success East Paulding has enjoyed this season. It's all about the 11 players the Raiders have on the field at any given time.
"They've got great players and they've got them at just about every position. It's not like they lack. You look at a lot of teams and you find a place or two where some guys maybe aren't quite up to some of the other folks, you can't say that about them. They've got really good players at every position," Falleur said.
Coming into just the fourth week of the season the Wildcats are already feeling the strain of having an open week in the first week of the season. Playing 10 straight games isn't what any coach would desire — especially when they are all region games.
"We got a lot of people hurt early and we're just now starting, knock on wood, to get to where everybody's able to play at least. This not having an open date during your season, I hope I don't ever draw it again. Only going into week four, just physically and mentally, that open date I really didn't know what it did for you," Falleur said.
Just getting healthy isn't the only ingredient of the recipe to defeat one of the top teams in the state on the road. The Wildcats will have to play their best game of the season and keep the Raiders from doing what they have done in their big wins.
"I don't know what we might be able to do, but what we've got to do to have a chance to win is offensively we have to control the football. Don't make mistakes and don't give them a short field. When you watch them against folks, people turn the ball over against them and they make big plays, run interceptions back and fumbles back and that kind of stuff," Falleur said. "Defensively we've got to try to limit the big plays. They have big played everybody this year, throwing and running. It's going to be a big challenge."
While VR is sure to be a major underdog on Friday, the game could be a spring board for the rest of the season. A win would put the Wildcats right back into the region mix, but even a loss — if they keep it close and play better than they have — would have a positive effect on the rest of the season.
"If you can put it all together and play and win this thing it would really help you in that direction. I didn't feel like we made those steps last week. I'm not going to say we didn't take steps forward, especially defensively with the exception of that first drive. We played pretty good on defense. On offense we still have to get better and more consistent, especially on the offensive line. If we can go in there and do that this Friday against the caliber team I really think it would help us throughout the rest of the year," Falleur said.
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