The Selma Times-Journal

High school football is all about adjustments. Offenses adjust to defenses and vice versa. Beginning this afternoon, coach Eric Hiott and his Dallas County Hornets are going to have to adjust to a different schedule – one that involves two football games within three days of each other.

Two weeks ago, the Hornets were coming off a loss to Maplesville and were set to take the field that following Friday against Livingston High School.

Plans changed, however, courtesy of Hurricane Katrina’s jaunt through the southeast region.

That game, along with several others both in the Alabama High School Athletic Association and the Alabama Independent School Association, was cancelled.

The re-scheduled game could be a blessing in disguise for the Hornets.

Dallas County, which has yet to find its

first win of the season, will play Livingston on Sept. 20, and then will play Keith High School on Sept. 23.

Both games are on the road.

“I went and met with my Athletic Director (Don Ingram) and we wanted to play the game that week, whether it be on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Labor Day,” said Eric Hiott, coach of the Hornets. “Their coach couldn’t get his players together because of the Hurricane.”

From there, the decision was made to cancel the game. The next question that had to be answered was when it was going to be rescheduled.

Both coaches agreed to do it on a week when they were out of regional play.

That is also the week that both teams play smaller schools.

“We scheduled this week against Keith,” said Hiott. “I’m not saying that Keith is easy by no means. They run the wing T as good as anybody I’ve seen. They just happen to be our opponent on a non-region week.”

Livingston plays Akron, a 1A school and Dallas County travels to Keith a 2A program.

Playing two games in one week is not an easy task.

“We had the film of Bibb County vs. Livingston, so we got to scout both teams at once,” said Hiott. “It can get confusing though. You get to watching one team and focusing on their personnel, it can be hard to shift to the other team.”

Another factor that Hiott and his staff has to consider is the health of his players.

Two weeks ago, they played Demopolis and according to Hiott, they had a very physical week of practice last week to get ready for Bibb County.

The practice worked, and his Hornets came within six points of their first win of the season.

This week though, the Hornets won’t have a very physical practice.

“Monday will be in shorts and we play today,” said Hiott. “Then we’ll go Wednesday and Thursday in shorts. If you get one of your key players hurt right now, you may knock yourselves out of the playoffs.”

Even though the Hornets are playing two games this week, Hiott and his Hornets are not forgetting that today’s game is a regional game.

“Tonight is very important considering that we need one and three more,” said Hiott. “If we don’t win tonight, then our backs are really going to be against the wall when it comes to getting in the playoffs.”