Speed and deception will be the main weapons tonight at Gator Alley when Bulloch Academy hosts Robert Toombs Christian Academy.
    The Crusaders (1-0) boast shifty senior quarterback Justin Brinson, who had over 300 all-purpose yards in last week’s 22-18 victory over Pinewood Christian Academy.
    “They are a very dangerous team because he touches the ball on every snap,” said BA head coach Clint Morgan. “He’s a very, very good football player. We’ve known that for three years.
    In Bulloch’s 26-13 victory over the Crusaders in Lyons last October, Brinson carried the ball 34 times for 227 yards including runs of 60 and 51 yards.
    Morgan expects the RTCA offense to be full of traps, powers and counter treys.
    “They run a sort of spread/zone offense,” he said. “Robert Toombs is a very fundamentally sound football team. They do things right. What they do, they do well. They executed very well against Pinewood last week. They kept the Patriots on their heels.”
    Speed and deception may be the Crusaders’ main weapons but Bulloch (1-0) excels in these areas as well.
    In the Gators’ home opener last week, Bulloch battered David Emanuel Academy 59-22 behind their version of the legendary “Four Horsemen.”
    Senior wingback Ellis Lane had nine carries for 194 yards and two scores while senior fullback Lestonz Lewis had five carries for 166 yards and two scores. Senior quarterback Brandon Walker had one tote for 46 yards and a TD and senior wingback Morris Prince rushed for 69 yards on four carries and scored twice. Walker also hit Lane on a 17-yard touchdown pass.
    “We have a true four-headed monster for an offense,” said Morgan. “It’s a great feeling to know that any one of the four has the potential to take it to the house on every play. Obviously, we’re very pleased with scoring points and getting big yards on big plays. But, as the season progresses, we’re going to need to be able to sustain drives and convert third-down plays.”
    Defensively, Morgan expects RTCA to line up in a 50 front.
    “They do a good job of mixing up their coverages in the secondary,” he said. “They will play a cover two with hard run support. They will also go to a cover three when they are in a 5-3 defense. I would not be surprised to see them in a four-man front either.”
    The Gator defense gave up 22 points for the entire contest against DEA last week but just eight of that was in the first half.
    Senior linebacker James Brack led the BA defense with five individual tackles and seven assists while sophomore strong safety Loy Waters had five solos and six assists. Other leaders were junior defensive tackle Caleb Bohannon (six, four), sophomore cornerback Bailey Smith (five, three) and sophomore cornerback Harrison Averitt (four, four). Averitt also had an interception as did freshman Matt Sheppard. Senior defensive back Morris Prince recovered a fumble.
    “We’ve still got a lot to work on,” said Morgan. “Our motto this week was that ‘We’re 1-0 with a long way to go.’”