WHITMIRE — The Whitmire High School Wolverines will host the Estill High School Fighting Gators Friday after taking second place in the Region. This will be the first time the Wolverines and the Fighting Gators have faced each other on the field.
“Whitmire is in the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Whitmire’s last playoff win came in a 44-8 victory over North in 2007,” said Head Coach Charlie Jenkins.
Estill is in Region Three, a league that is an eight team Region. Jenkins said they have a very deep and athletic league.
“The biggest difference in our region and their region is team speed,” he said. “Coach Jarrod King, our strength and conditioning coach, does a great job with our kids so we are strong and well conditioned. We try to be smart with our game plans. Coach Campbell and Coach Lockwood always have a good plan to try and stop our opponents, but we are just not that fast.”
Jenkins added that all those teams have at least four or five guys who are really fast.
“When you play against them you have to be really good on defense because they can take it to house on any play. One slip up and they can make you pay,” he said.
When it comes to Friday’s game, Jenkins said their advantage will be playing at home. The Fighting Gators are from Hampton County, and will have a three hour road trip.
“Also Estill is athletic, but they would rather play against a spread team that tries to pass the ball all over the place. They do not seem to like playing against teams like us that run the ball right at them,” Jenkins said.
The defensive front for the Fighting Gators consist of players who are 6’4”, 215 pounds; 6’2’, 280 pounds; 6’1”, 270 pounds; 6’5”, 295 pounds; 6’1”, 270 pounds.
“We will have to work hard to move these guys off the line,” Jenkins said.
Both the Wolverines and Fighting Gators faced North this season, both teams defeating North. Both teams also played Ridge-Spring Monetta, but both were defeated.
Friday’s game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. in Whitmire, the victorious team will go on to play Wagener-Salley.