WHAT: Ruston vs. Ouachita
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Monroe
HOW: KXKZ 107.5, pregame show at 6 p.m. Kickoff at 7 p.m.
MONROE, La. — It’s been five games in a row now for Jerrod Baugh and his Ruston Bearcats (5-1, 1-0 district).
And the Bearcats will be tested Friday night against the Ouachita Lions in the third consecutive road game for Ruston.
“They’re a good football team,” Baugh said. “They do a lot of things on offense the way that we do. Their running backs are good and they can make plays. Every year when you play Ouachita you have to make sure that you’re tackling really well and that you have eleven guys going toward the football because at any point those guys can break off a big play and score.”
Ouachita’s head coach Todd Garvin enters his first season for the Lions after being previously on Ruston’s staff. Baugh added that Garvin already has the program headed in the right direction.
“I know Coach Garvin is going to be prepared,” Baugh said. “He’s a very diligent worker and pays attention to detail. I actually coached him when I was a receivers coach at Ouachita when he was the starting quarterback there. He’s going to be good for their football program. He brought a lot to ours when he was with us, too.”
Ruston handled the Pineville Rebels last week by a final score of 41-0 despite coming out of the gates sluggish despite holding a 21-0 lead at the half and head coach Jerrod Baugh said it was a matter of the Bearcats not generating their own intensity after two straight victories against Top 10 teams the last two weeks.
“Sometimes you worry about these more than the others,” said Baugh. “You just don’t know if the kids are truly prepared mentally. We have played some really good football teams in some high intense situations. It’s not hard tog et ready for those games. I worry more about these … I guess people call them trap games.
“I think we need to do a little bit better job under these circumstances of making sure we are ready. We have to generate our own enthusiasm in ball games like this. I don’t think we did a very good job that tonight. I am pleased. We went about this business-like and we took care of what we needed to.”
