Stratford and FPD set for latest edition of fierce rivalry

Stratford head coach Paul Carroll has been around coaching for a long time.

Friday tested him.

“Nothing went right, all the way from the pregame meal to everything else,” Carroll said of the Eagles’ last game, a 51-13 loss to John Milledge. “It was a total chaotic night.”

Hyperbole? Well, did the buses make it back OK?

“We actually hit something in the road on the way back,” the second-year Stratford head coach said. “And then the other bus, the equipment bus, had issues with the seat. They couldn’t get it working where they can pull it back and drive back.”

The masochist in Carroll came out, and he watched the nightmare on Log Cabin Road Northeast until about 5 a.m.

Soon enough, though, it was time to flush that disaster and get ready for another big game against another state championship contender — and Stratford’s biggest rival.

FPD, after a quality flushing of its own, visits Stratford on Friday with a chance to all but knock the Eagles from a district title or watch GIAA District 6-4A/3A get a little more muddled.

The Vikings are 5-2 and 1-0 after they eventually took care of Mount de Sales 42-7 last week after a mistake-prone 33-22 loss at Westfield the game prior.

The Eagles are 5-1 and 0-1, following their best game of the year with by far their worst since Carroll took over.

Stratford had five turnovers, the first coming on their initial possession after the defense gave up a third-and-21 conversion that led to John Milledge’s first touchdown.

“After that, it was just the Titanic,” Carroll said. “We just kept on rearranging them deck chairs, but you know the Titanic was going down.”

Carroll hopes that big boat is docked for a while. The Eagles went through a double session of film study, and then underwent the punishment meted out for touchdowns score on them: five gassers.

 The Eagles will certainly be conditioned at kickoff.

Carroll said early returns on practice and attitude were very good, even if he was still struggling. Monday was one of the season’s best practices, and Stratford has been inconsistent during the week.

The Eagles are certainly aware that such an effort will lead to bad news on Friday.

“This week, I mean, FPD’s going to play hard,” Carroll said. “You’re going to play hard. It’s all about, are you willing to prepare during the week to dang win it?”

The misery Carroll and the Eagles suffered in Milledgeville countered the contentment felt by FPD and head coach Brett Collier, who turned in their most complete game of the season in their 42-7 over Mount de Sales.

They shut out the Cavs after allowing the lone score early in the first quarter, which tied the game, and finished strong with 21 fourth-quarter points.

“I feel like we played four full quarters,” Collier said. “Didn’t make any mistakes in the kicking game, didn’t — outside of one fumble — make any huge mistakes.

“I don’t think we’ve played our best football yet, but Friday night was definitely a step in the right direction.”

A week earlier, the Vikings suffered from special teams mistakes, among other things, to make for a hole just big enough for an 11-point Hornets win.

They responded in the way Carroll hopes his kids can match.

FPD has an edge in physicality – “Everybody we play, we’re the runts of the group,” Carroll said of his undersized-but-growing group – as well as experience at quarterback, the skill positions, and throughout most of the defense.

The Eagles ride the legs of speedy tailback Tyler Stephens, while Tucker Johnston is a first-year starter at quarterback who is maturing weekly.

Stephens, who went over 1,000 yards for the season on Friday night, accounts for 67.5 percent of Stratford’s rushing yards, while Major Simmons and Brady McHugh team for 67.6% of FPD’s.

Johnston is 46 of 80 passing for 778 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, while veteran Simmons is 46 of 81 for 653 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.

The defenses are led by Aaron Jefferson, Maddox Whitehead and Travis Dugger for Stratford, and McHugh, Cash Hickman, Simmons and Harrison Keenan for FPD.

The format and structure of the GIAA lessens some of the old-school importance, since both teams will make the Class 4A playoffs while John Milledge drops to 3A for the postseason, district titles for bragging rights only.

But …

“Two years ago, we beat Tattnall in a nail-biter in the end, and then had to turn around and play them in the semifinals at our place,” Collier said. “So, there’s sort of a season after the season where sometimes you got to play the same guys.”

Flatness for either team is unlikely. The rivalry isn’t first in games for either team, thanks to FPD’s years in the GHSA before being joined by Tattnall, Stratford, and Mount de Sales.

Stratford leads 25-23-1, with FPD winning the last two and four of the last six. The schools are less than two miles apart.

“This is the game in the FPD-Stratford community,” Collier said. “People put a lot into it. That makes it typically a very close game, competitive game, so it’ll be fun regardless.”