On Friday night in Alachua , the Dunnellon Tigers take on the Santa Fe Raiders in the second round of the playoffs. Santa Fe is 7-3 on the year, good enough to be first in class 4A district 3. However, Dunnellon is 11-0 on the season and first overall in class 4A.
Coming off of a 26-0 win against South Sumter in the first round, the Raiders hope to carry their momentum into Friday’s game. Head coach Bill Wiles says that liked his team’s effort in the win. After making the playoffs, Wiles told his team that they need to cherish every moment they have together as they try to go farther into the tournament.
The Raiders know that the next game isn’t going to be an easy one. Dunnellon has been very successful on offense this season, scoring 40 or more points in 8 of their 11 games. Wiles praises the Tigers’ Josh Williams for being a game-changing player that can score from anywhere on the field. In order to beat Dunnellon, Wiles says his defense needs to slow them down, limit their big plays, and force them to drive the ball.
Kickoff is at 7:30 Friday night at Santa Fe High School in Alachua.