The Douglas football team knows it faces a daunting task Friday night at Reed.
The Tigers square off against the three-time defending regional champion Raiders at 7 p.m.
After struggling in a pair of losses to highly-ranked out-of-state opponents, Reed obliterated Damonte Ranch and Galena. The Raiders followed that up with an impressive 26-14 win on the road at Oak Ridge, Calif., last week.
“The kids understand they have a great opportunity against a great opponent this week,” Dougla coach Ernie Monfiletto said. “The focus has been on us this week, not about the Reed mystique.
“Don't get me wrong, Reed deserves all of that, they have earned every bit of it. Ernie (Howren) has done a great job with the program. They have an exceptional amount of depth. It's just a fine program top to bottom. It's something we are trying to build here. They are a great model for what a program should look like.
“The goal is ultimately to get better every week. We feel like the league is wide open. If we continue to get better, and with as hard as the kids are working and as much effort as they are putting forth, you just never know what will happen.”
Last week in a 20-14 loss to Hug, Monfiletto said he saw more signs of improvement.
“Defensively we made progress,” Monfiletto said. “The kids played hard on both sides of the ball. Defensively, the kids stepped up. The offense put one in the end zone, so did special teams. We just have to figure out how to capitalize on the opportunities we're getting.”
The Raiders have primarily used two quarterbacks this season, with junior Matt Denn taking over the majority of snaps in recent weeks. He has completed 66 percent of his passes for 288 uards and four touchdowns.
For the most part, Reed has been content to run the ball behind its stellar offensive line. Denn has rushed for 314 yards in five games, Jodren Carter has run for 440 yards, sophomore Tre Bussey has run for 268 yards, Jackson Gilmore has run for 210 yards and John Torres has run for 117 yards.
Reed has won the past nine meetings between the two schools and 12 of the past 13. The teams have met eight times in the last four seasons.
TIGERS FACE FAMILIAR FOE
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Andrew Jensen and Kaleb Foster makes a tackle against Hug last week.