Daleville looks to stay undefeated against Geneva

The Daleville football team will play its second home game in Warhawk Stadium when it hosts Geneva on Friday, Sept. 21.

“We have a lot of work to do and a lot of improvements to make,” Daleville coach Brad McCoy said. “It’s Geneva. This game means a whole lot to a lot of people in our community.”

Daleville is currently undefeated (3-0) this season, while Geneva has yet to win a game (0-3). McCoy said he knows the team can’t take the Panthers lightly, though.

“I know they’ve fell on some hard times these past three weeks, but offensively they seem to do very good when they get into their wishbone set and run the football right at people,” he said.

Geneva has lost to Barbour County 48-28, Houston Academy 50-14 and lost in double overtime to Abbeville 44-42.

“They’re staying in ball games,” McCoy said. “That says a lot about a team if you can do that. They play hard and don’t have any quit in them. They’re going to play until the end.”

McCoy said Geneva’s quarterback, Scott Stough, is one of the Panthers’ weapons.

“He’s a heck of a thrower and a great leader,” he said. “He manages the ball game really well. It doesn’t seem like he makes a lot of mistakes at all.”

Daleville has come out the victor against Geneva the last four times the teams have met.

A win in Friday night’s game is important to the Warhawks because it would be their third Class 3A, Region 2 victory, but it is special to McCoy — who graduated from Geneva — because he will face his former football coach.

Don Chesteen was previously Geneva’s coach from 1981-1987, and 2012 is his first year back with the Panthers.

“I’ve always thought a lot about Coach Chesteen,” McCoy said. “He’s a very respected coach, and I think a lot of him and his family.”

Geneva is a running and play-action pass team, so McCoy said the team has to be ready for a fast-paced game.

“We’re concentrating on what Geneva does to counteract what we do offensively and defensively,” McCoy said. “It’s a different team, a different week, a different set of kids and a different mentality.

The Warhawks will kick off against Geneva at 7 p.m. Friday.

“We’re trying to win the ball game against whoever we play,” McCoy said. “Geneva just happens to be the next one.”