The Raiders of Southern Oregon are ready to get the season started this weekend at South Medford High School’s Spiegelberg stadium.

After two weeks of hard work in practice Coach Craig Howard believes team chemistry is better this year compare to last season.

“When you’re out there sweating like these guys are as a player,” SOU head football coach Craig Howard said, “you gain respect for one another and just a comroderey develops with the work you go through, every player has to sacrifice to push through the hard two-a-day practices is not easy, the average guy doesn’t want to do it, but you know it’s hot, it hard but through that you develop a respect for one another, and a love for one another.”

This team chemistry will be put to the test on Saturday as they take on the Bulldogs from Montana-Western.  In which, the overall game plan is to analysis what they did last season and focus on the Raiders can do as a team.

“Every time you go into the first game there is some mystery to it,” said Howard, “because you haven’t seen them on film from this year.  You go on judgment expectations are from the past, you’re exactly not sure what you’re gonna get.”

The Bulldogs finished the 2011 season with a  2-7 record.  Howard doesn’t expect to take them easily because it is a new season, a new beginning and both teams are heading into this game undefeated.

The Bulldogs defense, which only returning five starters from their squad from last season, follow a “Odd”/”Even” defensive front.  In which the linebackers line up behind the interior defensive linemen and then mask on where they are going.

“We want to be balance, we want to establish both the run and pass,” said Howard, “So we want to get the ball to our player makers in space and let them make plays.”

What is the game plan for the Raiders on offense?  To establish the inside and outside zones behind running back Manny Barrigan, focus on the screen and vertical plays behind quarterback Austin Dodge and their senior core of receivers led by 2011 leading receiver Patrick Donahue.

Offenisvely, the Bulldogs play in a similar offense as the Raiders; a spread, fast tempo offense that will try to score point on you.  The Bulldogs focus on a passing game, especially trying to beat you with the vertical game.

“We expect to get pressure on the quarterback, whenever you face a good passer or a passing team, it’s always good to put on the quarterback and him wanna throw.” Said Howard.

Howard is impressed with the defensive line and learning their assignments against Montana-Western’s running plays and putting on the quarterback in practice.  Kalii Robinson , whom didn’t play last season, is expected to be anchoring the linebacker core as well as being a playmaker on the field Saturday.

Kickoff for the Raiders against the Bulldogs will be at one p.m. in Medford at South Medford’s Spiegelberg stadium.

Team Statistics (From 2011)

Statistics (From 2011)

OVERALL RECORD (FROM 2011)

SOU                                       5-5

MONTANA-WESTERN     2-7

PASSING                              COMP-ATT-PCT                                YDS        TDS        INT

SOU Austin Dodge           174-304-57.2                      2195       13           10

MW N/a                               178-332-53.6                      2084       12           10

RUSHING                             ATTEMPTS                          YDS        TDS        AVG

SOU

MW N/a                               178                                         1225       16           3.34

RECEIVING                          RECEPTIONS                       YDS        TDS        AVG

SOU

MW N/A                              178                                         2195       10

DEFENSE

SACKS

SOU Daniel Breaux 6.5

MW N/a               20.5

Tackles

SOU  Josh Leff 57

MW 804

INTERCEPTIONS

SOU  Josh Leff 2

MW N/A              10

Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27R3MV22phg&feature=plcp