By Robert Hudson

The Selma Times-Journal

When the Selma High School football team takes the field Friday night, it won’t just be playing its first game of the regular season; it’ll also be playing for bragging rights.

The Saints will play their first game of the season against the rival Southside Panthers Friday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

Selma High School football coach Leroy Miles said his team has been working on the fundamentals because it’s difficult to know what to expect from Southside when they take the field under new head coach Bertrum Crum.

“It makes it very difficult because everything you do is going to be adjustment oriented and that’s always tough when you’ve got to make adjustments as you go,” Miles said.

Miles said the Saints will enter the game at a slight disadvantage due to Southside having seen Selma high play a jamboree game and the Saints not having any film on Crum’s team due to them not playing in a jamboree.

“It’s unfortunate that we don’t have one, but they were able to come see us play in a jamboree to kind of get an idea of what we do,” Miles said. “We’re going in at a disadvantage by not knowing what they do, but them knowing what we do.”

One thing Miles knows for sure going into Friday’s game is he doesn’t have to tell his team the importance of this game.

“Against Southside, a rivalry game like this, you don’t have to give a pep talk,” Miles said. “Kids are already up for a rivalry game. It’s bragging rights for the city. It’s easy to get up for that.”

Miles said he’s put a game plan together and is working with his team on other aspects of the game.

“We’re trying to make sure we’ve got our blocking assignments down, and putting the game plan in kids hands so they’ll have something to study,” Miles said.

Miles said he looks forward to the matchup.

“It’s always tough,” Miles said. “Crum has always done a great job. He’s very deserving of that job and I think he’s going to put a lot into it.”