WEEK 1 OF 2013 FOOTBALL SEASON.

We have made it through another football off season. As hard as that was for us to bear..... IT IS FOOTBALL TIME AGAIN!!!! The Gaffney Indians played last week in Week 0 of the High School Football season falling at Northwestern 51 to 19. The Tribe has Division 1 prospects Shaq Davidson and Hyleck Foster back on offense but, they are replacing 10 starters off their State Championship team's defense. They are very very young and inexperienced on that side of the ball to start the season. They also had to start the season with their most explosive offensive player Shaq Davidson on the bench with an injured and surgically repaired thumb on his passing hand. He could miss as few as 2 games or as many as 6 games. We here at Tribe Blitz are hoping for the minimum 2 games missed scenario. With Shaq out the Indians had first time starter at QB Eddie Studyvance manning the very important QB position. He done a pretty good job considering  it was his first start as a QB in his life and it came on the road at Northwestern in a stadium that has been a "House of Horrors" for Gaffney over the years. Studyvance passed 16 of 25 for 149 yards and zero interceptions. He also rushed for 37 yards and 2 TDs. The Trojans were keying on Hyleck Foster and they held him to 15 rushes for 74 yards and 1 TD. The Tribe's defense had a lot of problems with Northwestern's Air Raid offense. The Trojans had 10 starters back on offense and it showed. So it is time for the Tribe to put the Week 0 debacle behind them and do what Gaffney football teams do, GET BETTER EACH WEEK and become a team that nobody wants to play later in the season. Remember last season 3 and 3 through the first six games then turning it around and winning not only the Region but the State Championship as well winning their last 9 games to do it. That is what Gaffney Indians football is all about WINNING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS as we have 17 and counting.

WEEK 1..... Clinton @ Gaffney.....Preview.....The Tribe has their home opener this week as the Clinton Red Devils come to The Reservation. Clinton is another program rich in tradition. The Indians went down there and defeated the Red Devils 41 to 7 last season. Clinton is a power running football team that will try to surprise you with play action out of their passing game. It will be another kind of a test for the young Gaffney defense.I am looking for improvement on both sides of the ball for the Tribe this week.

TRIBE FACTS..... Northwestern defeated Gaffney 49 to 19 last season and 51 to 19 this season. We all know how Gaffney's season played out.

TRIBE FACTS..... This is Dan Jones 4th season as Head Coach of the Tribe and he has a 1 and 3 record in season openers.

Tribe Blitz will have the weekly football picks from The Armchair Coach each week this season. We will also have a new feature from time to time called Sports Views from The ArmChair Coach which will be views not only about Gaffney Indians sports, but other sports topics as well. I think Tribe Blitzers will be kept informed about the sports world.

THE ARMCHAIR COACH'S WEEK 1 FOOTBALL PICKS 

High School Games

Clinton @ Gaffney..... In this battle between traditional powers, I see Gaffney showing some improvement and getting their first win of the new season..... Gaffney 34  Clinton 17

St. Joeseph's @ Blacksburg..... The Drew Chisholm era in the Iron City gets off to a rocky start..... St. Joesephs 27  Blacksburg 14

Chapman @ Chesnee..... This one has a chance to blow some bulbs in the scoreboard. I see the Eagles with win number 2..... Chesnee 37  Chapman 24

Rock Hill @ Dorman..... On paper this looks like a good game. Heck, on the field it should be one..... Dorman 24  Rock Hill 17

College Games

Georgia @ Clemson..... The renewal of this once classic rivalry should be a dandy. The scoreboard at the Valley should be lighting up..... Clemson 38  Georgia 34

Virginia Tech vs Alabama..... Another ACC vs SEC match up this weekend. This one in Georgia Dome for the Kickoff Classic..... Alabama 28  Virginia Tech 10

DID YOU KNOW? Clemson and Georgia haven't met on the football field since 2003. This once classic rivalry from 1977 through 1987 was one of the best in the country. Through that eleven game stretch it was 5 wins Clemson and 5 wins Georgia and 1 tie. And it had last second wins by both teams and both teams won National Championships during that time as well.

Tribe Blitz posts will be on Friday mornings at 10 AM.

Until Next Time.