For a team that has been on a rollercoaster ride all season long, it’s only fitting that the St. Aloysius Flashes are going to extremes when it comes to their opponents.

St. Al, which has had five of its eight games this year decided by a touchdown or less, hits the road to face Edinburg tonight. Edinburg has lost 40 straight games dating back to 2002 and scored just 20 points so far this season.

The seemingly easy night for the Flashes comes a week after one of the toughest in the long history of football at the school. Puckett, ranked No. 3 in Class 1A, amassed 690 yards of offense in drubbing the Flashes 69-7 last Friday.

While the game against Edinburg should help St. Al lick its wounds, coach Jim Taylor said he was preparing the team as if it were facing Puckett again. After all, he pointed out, Edinburg’s streak has to end sometime.

&#8220You’re basically preparing the same. You’ve been around long enough, you don’t take anything lightly,” Taylor said. &#8220They’re going to win a game one of these days, and you dang sure don’t want it to be against you.”

And after the way the Flashes played against Puckett, it seems as if it could end this week. In addition to the yardage total, the defense missed numerous tackles and seemed to be in slow motion against the speedy Wolves. The offense gained a meager 65 yards for the game and committed four turnovers.

&#8220They were disgusted,” Taylor said of his players. &#8220We haven’t even looked at the film.”

The Flashes (5-3, 4-2 Region 3-1A) need to turn it around to stay on track for their first playoff berth since 2002. They have relatively easy games tonight against Edinburg (0-8, 0-6) and Sebastopol (3-5, 2-4) next week, before a season-ending showdown at home against Pisgah that should either decide a playoff berth or seeding.

Taking care of business these next two weeks and getting to the Pisgah game in position to earn the No. 3 seed from Region 3-1A is the Flashes’ immediate goal, Taylor said.

&#8220I think our kids will stay focused. They want to play well as a team, and that keeps them focused,” he said. &#8220It ain’t every year we have an opportunity to do this. We don’t stay focused, we don’t need to go to the playoffs anyway.”