Coach's Corner with head coach Edwin Garcia: Gregory-Portland edition

This week Alexander head football coach Edwin Garcia discusses what went wrong last week against San Antonio Marshall and previews the Bulldogs' game against Gregory-Portland

Welcome to this week’s Coach’s Corner with Alexander head football coach Edwin Garcia.

This will be a weekly series, publishing every Wednesday, as Garcia will provide valuable insight on last week’s result and this week’s upcoming matchup.

Here’s the first edition of Coach’s Corner with Garcia.

After reviewing the film, what were some of the positives and negatives from last week’s game against San Antonio Marshall?

We understand it’s a long season, and we will be dealt with adversity somewhere along the journey. We are having to throw some guys in the mix earlier than we expected to, but I’m proud of the way our coaching staff and kids have worked to be ready for their opportunity.

Offensively, we put together some great drives, we just couldn’t punch the ball into the endzone. Turnovers were ultimately the deciding factor and we will address our ball security issues this week. Defensively, our defense just had some missed assignments. Marshall did a good job of running their offense, but I believe we grew as a defense and had some stops when we needed to. I was pleased with our secondary and the way we played against the run.

What are some areas of growth you’d like to see from the team this week?

Offensively, we want to be able to finish drives with points. We are facing a very physical opponent this week, and we need to match that level of intensity that they will bring to our game. Our defense will be tested once again with a different style of offense, but that relays on a strong run game once again. Our defensive front will get tested, and I want us to be able to play fast and attack the football.

Karlo Tenorio is the QB now for Alexander. Does that change up your offense at all going forward?

Offensively, we will continue to do what we do. Karlo has been successful in our system the last couple of years. He is very competitive and is hard on himself, we just need to bring him along and focus on what he does best.

What have you seen from Gregory-Portland on film?

Gregory-Portland has a great football program. Coach Brent Davis does a great job with his kids and it shows on film. They are a very physical and fast team. Their offensive line is one of the better offensive lines we will see all year. This team will prepare us for our games down the road.

Gregory-Portland provides us with an opportunity to see a different style of offense than last week, similar to a couple of teams in our district. We are excited to be able to play against one of the better teams in the Coastal Bend.

What are the keys to victory this week?

We have to match their intensity and physicality. We will be going into a playoff atmosphere and environment as this is their first home game and have a tradition-rich program. Our offense needs to be able to sustain drives and finish with points. We have to limit their opportunities as they have a high-tempo offense that wants to play as fast as possible. Our defense has to be able to get off the field on third downs and limit their ability to get first downs.