The word uncertainty is usually a foreign one to a meticulous planner like Vicksburg coach Marcus Rogers.  But that’s exactly what the Gators’ opponent brings to the table this week as they look to bounce back from a 26-21 Red Carpet Bowl loss to open the season. 

VHS will travel away form Memorial Stadium for the first time in 2014 to face a South Delta team the Gators beat 34-0 last season. But to Rogers and his staff, the Bulldogs are a brand new challenge.

“This is one of the ball clubs on our schedule I had no idea about until I saw the film on yesterday,” Rogers said. “I saw the film on last year. They look like an athletic group.”

South Delta is somewhat of an anomaly in Mississippi high school football, as one of the few teams left that runs a pro-set I-formation on offense.

The Bulldogs, Rogers said, attempt to power the ball up the middle while utilizing the play-action pass to hit their fullbacks in the flats, something Rogers believes his defense will be ready for as they switch back and forth from different formations.

“We’re going to run some 4-2-5. We’re going to run a lot of 3-4 this week too,” he said. “We’re going to run a little inverted look on the 3-4 and probably have a monster or a rover guy outside on the wide side.”

On offense, the Gators look to continue implementing their spread that had flashes of success against McComb last week. There will be no reserved play calling out of Rogers and his staff even if the team goes up big early.

“We’ve got to perfect what we’re doing, because last week we made a lot of mistakes,” he said. “We’re going to open the playbook up and try to perfect some things, be on point for what we’re trying to do and still achieve our goal, and that’s to host a playoff game.”

There are only 27 players on the Bulldogs’ roster this season, and Vicksburg is hoping to exploit that numbers difference to secure an advantage on the field Friday night.

“We’re going to run right at them and just try and tire them out, and in the second half we (should) be up convincingly, hopefully, and get some guys some reps that need some opportunities to get some reps and try and develop our trenches a little more so we can be ready for next week,” he said.