Russellville looks to bounce back

By Staff
Scot Beard
The Russellville football team is in familiar territory this week as it prepares for Saint Paul's Episcopal School.
This time last year the Golden Tigers were licking their wounds after being upset by Hartselle.
This year the Golden Tigers are trying to rebound from another loss to Hartselle.
Coach Doug Goodwin said it would be more difficult for Russellville to beat the Saints.
"They're a lot better than last year, especially up front," Goodwin said. "The lines on both sides have improved."
One thing the Golden Tigers will not have to worry about this season is former Saints quarterback A.J. McCarron, who is now at the University of Alabama. The problem is the replacement can be as dangerous as McCarron.
"They've got another one built like McCarron," Goodwin said. "He is about 6-foot-4, and his favorite target is his brother, who is 6-foot-5."
While the passing tandem offers quite a bit of height, Goodwin said the Saints are more of a run-based team. They use the Wing-T formation most of the time, but they also run out of the I formation as well.
The Saints, like Russellville, are 3-1 overall. They have scored an average of 25.25 points per game while allowing an average of 19.57 points.
To win the game, Goodwin said it is important for the Golden Tigers to learn from last week's mistakes.
"I think they understand we made too many mistakes," Goodwin said. "We made all of those mistakes and still had a chance to tie the game with 1:30 to go."
Last year Russellville used the loss to Hartselle to spark a 10-game winning streak that helped the team reach the state title game.
The Golden Tigers are hoping to repeat that feat this season, but first they have to put the loss behind them.
"We have to learn from it and move on," Goodwin said.
The game begins at 7 p.m. Friday.