Prep Football Preivew: Riding Momentum

There are two train of thoughts surrounding the Eldorado football team as they prepare to travel to Christoper Friday in a Black Diamond battle against Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton.

The first for Brandon Hampton and company would be to not focus on the fact that the Bearcats are 0-3 to start the season, who lost a season opener to Carmi and Fairfield in Week 2, before falling on the road last week at Tolono Unity.

The second, Hampton wants his club to continue to improve on themselves.

"We have to respect C-Z-R because we know what kind of team they are," Hampton said. "The last thing we need to do is get caught up in records. They have some good players and Hunter Wheeler is as a talented of a player that we have in this conference."

Wheeler, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior running back is something of a dual threat for the Bearcats as he had nine catches for 154 yards and one touchdown heading into last week's game at Tolono.

Getting Wheeler the pigskin is junior Issac McPhail, who at 5-11 and 150 pounds was ranked fifth in southern Illinois in passing yards, going 13-for-37 for 267 and three TD's

"We have to take care of the football, play penalty free and be good in the kicking game," Hampton said of his scheme heading into Friday night's game. "If we do those things and play like we did at Sesser-Valier-Waltonville-Woodlawn and Vienna-Goreville, we should be okay."

Still, even at 0-3, Hampton is aware that C-Z-R creates multiple problems that they can easily beat you with.

"They're kind of a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde kind of team. You don't know which one you are going to get," Hampton said. "They do a lot of different things week to week and it almost forces you to be simple in your game plan. They are very multiple in the looks they will give you and if you've noticed, they have already thrown it 20 to 25 times a game and that's not something that they have done historically."

If the Bearcats do decide to air it out, Hampton feels confident in his secondary, consisting of Isaac Bethel, Drew Woolcott and Payton Price.

"There are always things we have to shore up on the pass coverage, but right now, our secondary has been really good"

In anticipation for C-Z-R, Hampton and the Eagles sit as one of two other teams in the conference unbeaten at 3-0, joining Chester and Johnston City.

In an effort to keep that undefeated streak alive, Hampton said his kids have bought into what it is the coaching staff has been preaching and attention to detail is at an all-time high.

"I think you could throw the record out - for any team - and for us, we just have to do what we need to do to have success. Again, a lot of that - at least for us - starts at practice and we have had great practices all well. We preach to them that if they do things right throughout the week, Friday night's will take care of themselves."

Hampton maintains that most pleasing thing for his staff, going back to Week 3, is how the Eagles didn't play real well on offense and still won the game.

"We have a couple of new starters on the offensive line, but a few of them are playing at a real high level, like Nick Hudnell. We're throwing the ball real well and the quick pitch has been working, but I feel like we need to get our option game going. If nothing else, I tell the kids, we have to keep doing the things we need to do to have success. At the same time, we have to take ownership for our mistakes and correct term, which is key and continue to get better."

Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.