Five Downs with Coach Polites: Playoff Edition

Well, it's playoff time already. Tonight, the Bears travel to West Lawn to take on the No. 1 ranked and undefeated Wilson Bulldogs in the first round of the District Three Quad-A playoffs. I caught up with E-town head coach Jeff Polites today to chat a little about tonight's big game. Here is the first playoff edition of Five Downs with Coach Polites. Enjoy.

First Down: How do you prepare for a defense as good as Wilson's? How you think your offense will give them trouble?
Coach Polites: We have an attack that is tough to defend with all the possible ball carriers and pass catchers. This will give us an advantage over most defensive schemes.

Second Down: How important is it for your kids to realize that they can play with Wilson? And how do you get them to believe that?
Coach Polites: That is the most important thing of all. Nothing else will matter if we can not get over the mental hurdle. We have been preaching all week about the game is played on the field and our effort and execution of the game plan is the only thing we can control.

Third Down: Does this seem like a game that will be won or lost at the line of scrimmage?
Coach Polites: Most games are won or lost at the line of scrimmage. Tonight it will be even more important to match the intensity at the line of scrimmage.

Fourth Down: How do you think your returning team leaders will use last year's playoff run to their advantage?
Coach Polites: It is always nice to draw from prior experience to help us eliminate any hesitation. Hopefully this will be another step in being a consistent postseason team.

Fifth Down: Is it more difficult to prepare for a team that you've only seen on film?
Coach Polites: I like playing a team that we are unfamiliar with. It gives us another experience at a different offense and defense. It is our opportunity to challenge ourselves against a quality opponent.