Gators hope to get off to strong start

BAKER – Coming off a 0-10 season in 2009, the Baker football team is ready to put the past behind them when the Gators host Jay in the 2010 Kickoff Classic on Friday.

Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

“I think it’s really important that we make a good statement,” senior Christian Mainor said. “Teams probably are not going to give us the credit that we are as good as we are. We are here to compete this year and I think things are looking good for us this year.”

Junior Vada Moore is just ready to go against somebody other than his fellow Gators, even if it is only a preseason game.

“I’m excited,” Moore said. “It will be so nice for us to beat on somebody besides our teammates. It feels good to hit somebody on another team.

“I think we are ready. We’ve been practicing hard all summer and all offseason, and we’ve been working hard in the weight room and out on the field. We just have to go out and execute and come out with a win.”

Gator coach Bob Kellogg isn’t sure what to expect from the Royals, who have a long history of playing power football for coach Elijah Bell.

“We don’t have a lot on Jay and that’s what scares you,” he said. “You know they graduated a lot of seniors. And the Hendricks boy was the best and most dominant player in the whole district so I’m glad to see him gone.

“He and his brother in my five years have been kind of a wrecking crew and I really don’t know a whole lot about them (Jay), and that’s the scary part.”

Kellogg does know a few things about Jay.

“They are going to be bigger than us, I know that,” he said. “I hope we are going to have more speed than them. I don’t know that for sure.

“They didn’t play in the spring game because a lot of their players were in the baseball state playoffs. But when you play that game (the spring game) it doesn’t matter.”

Playing the Royals is always special for the Gator players, whether in a regular season game or a preseason contest.

“We are not very fond of Jay, and they can say the same for us,” Moore said. “It’s important because we want to make a statement that we might have had a bad season last year, but it’s a new year and a new team and we are ready to ride.”

Any time the Gators can beat Jay it’s special, and that hasn’t happened on the football field too often the last few years.

Mainor knows what it’s like and wants to experience it again.

“It’s time that we finally beat Jay,” he said. “We beat Jay my freshman year (JV) and that was a good taste and we want that taste again.”

Kellogg knows the importance of a good showing against the Royals too.

“I just think it is important because it’s been so long since the kids have had any success,” he said. “I think success will just give them a boost.

“I would like to see us play well and I would like to see us win, especially if you can win against your biggest rival. I think it helps and is a big starter for us.”