By By Matthew Nascone
Being shutout is a hard thing to forget, and Northview football head coach Cody Keene said his team has not forgotten that is exactly what Marianna did to the Chiefs last year.
Last year Northview traveled to Marianna and lost 21-0. This year the Chiefs host the Bulldogs and Keene said it will be the toughest challenge for his guys yet.
"They are the best team we have played so far and they have some very good athletes," Keene said. "We will have to work hard at protecting the football."
The Chiefs will look to bump their record to 5-0 with a win against Marianna. Marianna is 3-1, coming off a big win over 34-0 win over Graceville High.
Keene said the Chiefs will try to keep Phillip Sylvester in check, as he is the Bulldogs most potent weapon and a NCAA D1 recruit.
"We have to play great defense and not turn the ball over," Keene said. "Because they will take advantage of those extra opportunities. They thrive on forcing turnovers."
Keene's focus in practice this year has been on getting physical during the game and he said his guys are catching on and improving every week.
"These kids have been doing a great job of getting physical out there," he said. "And we need to cut down on our penalties and stop hurting ourselves with that. But we need to continue to make plays."
And like every week, Keene said their success will depend on one thing.
"We need to do what we do well, and that is pound the ball," Keene said.
This week also marks homecoming week for the Chiefs and Keene said the festivities of the week should not take away from his team's focus.
"We feel like this group is mature enough to not let homecoming bother us," he said. "Our job is to win the football game and we plan to do just that. And we want people to come out and support us."
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.