Scout.com > Alabama HS ScoutSouth.com: Eufaula Coach Dan Klages Story URL: http://hsalabama.scout.com/2/687490.html Rebecca Johnston ScoutSouth.com Oct 5, 2007 Class 5A Region 2 will have a critical game in Troy Friday night. The 2006 state championship runner-up Eufaula Tigers are on the prowl. While Charles Henderson (Troy)is a perfect 5-0 with three wins in region play,the Tigers have stumbled only once to open the season against 6A Central Phenix City (3-2) 28-14. One of them is going to leave this game as the region championship front-runner. Eufaula followed their opening loss with region wins over Rehobeth (52-0), B.T. Washington (49-6), and Greenville (14-0). They stepped out of region play last week to take on a pretty good Lee County (Ga.) program and came away with a 13-6 victory to take the Tigers' record to 4-1. Charles Henderson (Troy) opened the season with a win against 5A Wilcox Central (42-6). Then moved into region play and tackled Carroll (26-21), Tallassee (23-9) and Valley (29-15). The Trojans faced winless 6A Dothan (47-21) last Friday and dominated that game from the second quarter. At one point outpacing the opponent with 33 unanswered points. Eufaula had scored 208 points agter five games in 2006. This year, with the loss of graduating quarterback Jerrell Jernigan (Troy) and a pre-season injury to running back Chris Williams (out of action until last week) resulted in Eufaula scoring only 142 points. That figure has dwindled to just 27 points in the last two games. This is a different kind of team for Coach Dan Klages at Eufaula. Although the offense is scoring less, the defense is coming up big allowing only 12 points in the last four starts. Klages spent some time with ScoutSouth.com and addressed the differences from last year. "We want to expect the best, and we still do. But the thing about it is that we kind of figured that if we were going to even come close to equaling what we did last year it wouldn't be 56-7, it would be more of a 14-7, 13-6 type scores," Klages said. "Other than two blowouts we had against two teams, frankly at our skill level that's the way it's been. So we've played some close games, and that was to be expected." "Our defense had enough players and experience back that they could keep the scores down, and if we could just score more than they did then we would be ok. We're not getting a whole lot of style points." "The other night we dropped four passes inside the five. If we had caught half of those we would have won by three touchdowns. But that's part of the game." We talked with coach Klages about the Tigers' injury status at the halfway point of the season. "For the most part we're pretty healthy," he stated. "That's good for the fifth game of the year. We were able to get our tailback, Chris Williams, back. He had been out the first four games. He was our best tailback, a 1,000 yard rusher for us (last year)." "This was going to be his fourth year for us. He suffered an injury early in the pre-season. We had to hold him out, but he's back now. He responded real well the other night. He had 106 yards on 11 carries." Coach Klages is a great student of the game, and no one knows the percentages and is more in tune with not gambling your football life away than the Eufaula coach. That's why he stunned some folks in the Greenville game on fourth-and-inches on his own 19 yard line when he went for the first down. That takes a lot of confidence in your offense, and your defense, if you don't make it. Coach Klages talked about the gutsy call that must have put some fire in his players' bellies. "You've got to have faith in your defense when you do that," he said. "We just felt like that was a point in the game where we needed to keep the ball and keep the chains moving. We ended up scoring on that drive. I'm not real big about doing that, but it was inches." "We have a certain set that we are pretty good in for short yardage. We felt like--well I did anyway (laugh). I didn't really consult anybody on that. We just went ahead and got in our short yardage set and got it by four yards." Eufaula defeated Charles Henderson 42-3 in 2006, but things are coming up rosey for this Trojan team lately. Coach Klages talked of what he sees in the 2007 team. "Most good teams you need to start with their quarterback, and their quarterback (Brent Poole, Sr.) is playing very well. He moved up last year from private school to public school and did well." "He's just become a complete player this year. I guess he ran for 147 yards last week against (6A) Dothan and threw it for over a hundred. He's just a big strong, physical kid that's got good speed. He's about as accurate a passer as we've seen in a long time." "He throws the long ball really well. He'll dink you, and then all of a sudden if you go to sleep he'll throw one over your head. They've got the guys to go, and get it too. They are very dangerous offensively." "They also have a little different personality on that side of the ball than they have had recently. They are a lot more inclined to line up and try to hit you in the mouth. They get in a two back offense with the tight ends and try to run it at you." "They've got the backs that can do it, and they've got a big offensive line up front. Right now I don't see a weakness. They are good in the kicking game, and defensively they've got kids that run and hit and play real good in the secondary against the pass." "If they've got a weakness right now I don't know what it is. Maybe we can find it Friday night. I don't know." We asked Coach Klages if he felt the Trojan squad was comparable to the Greenville team they had defeated 14-0. "I can tell you that Friday night after we finish," he answered. "I think they are better in the kicking game, no doubt. They are not as big upfront on defense, but they play great technique. They play real hard. Their linebacking corp is outstanding." If this game comes down to kicking Eufaula's kicker, Clayton Slade, is a good one to have on your side. He came up big for the Tigers last week hitting two field goals for 40 and 37 yards to lift Eufaula to the 14-6 victory. "He's been perfect on his field goals, five-for-five, and he's probably 16-for-16 for his point after attempts," Klages said. "He punted five times for a 42.4 yard average, and he's playing defensive tackle for us." "Clayton was a big key last week, especially because we had some drives we couldn't finish. He finished them for us, and that put some points on the board. When you can do that you always feel better coming off the field if you didnt (get a touchdown). He gave us a lift there, and kept us in the ballgame until we finally scored on offense." Rebecca's Take: Strength of Schedule: Yratings.com rates the two teams' competition at this point in the season as 102.1 and 102.2 with Eufaula having a 10th of a point more difficult schedule. Advantage: Eufaula by a nose. Scoring for and against: Eufaula has a 20.4 scoring differential and Charles Henderson has a 19.0 difference. Advantage: Eufaula by a neck. Skilled positions: Eufaula running back Chris Williams has returned to Eufaula's lineup, and that will help. Courtney Upshaw, Xavier Crews, Kendrick Dennis and Desmond Thomas join him at skilled positions. Charles Henderson has LaQuintez Reynolds who can run or catch along with Jawaara White, Terrall Hill and Svante Davenport at wide receiver. Running backs Jonathan Moultry and Terrence Jackson. This is a tough call. But with Williams returning, and I believe many of Eufaula's offensive players are standout defensive players who play also play offense. Advantage: Charles Henderson by a short head. Quarterback: Senior Brent Poole has made some impressive plays this year for his Trojans including last week's naked bootleg play that went for an 80-yard touchdown against Dothan. Eufaula depends on junior quarterback Zack Brown. This is a bit of a transitional year for the Tigers with Jernigan leaving, and the offense was tweaked a little. With that in mind you have to consider Poole 's experience as the major difference. Advantage: Charles Henderson by a half length. Offensive Line: This one is a push. Both of these schools have lines that can go with the flow of the offense and are accustomed to making things happen for players like Chris Williams and LaQuintez Reynolds. Advantage: Dead heat. Defense: With Courtney Upshaw, Xavier Crews, Satero Hardy, Kendrick Dennis and Desmond Thomas you jave a whole lot of something special. Although Henderson has LaQuintez Reynolds and Svante Davenport. Due to the experience and pure talent, which includes division one collegiate talent. Advantage: Eufaula by a furlong. I think Eufaula will find a way to score points. While I expect Poole and Company to move the ball I don't think it will be excessive against the Tigers' defense. Eufaula by 14 points ScoutSouth.com--Your source for Alabama high school football. Class 5A Schedules and Scores (click here). Copyright © Scout.com and ScoutSouth.com