Both teams enter the game on a losing note as the Falcons look to rebound from last week's 45-25 loss at Logan-Magnolia.
"We're trying to get back to basics," St. Albert coach Jim Duggan said. "We've had such a tough time being consistent."
Last week the Falcons struggled with stopping the run as they gave up 341 yards on the ground.
"Basically, they wanted it more," Duggan said of the Panthers. "That's really what it came down to. We were flat, we weren't ready to play."
The Falcons have been good against the pass this year with juniors Cameron Tucker, Jake Hoffa, C.J. Gradoville, Chris Poulos and sophomore Marc Baumert stepping up with playing time in the defensive backfield rotation.
"They've all done a good job," Duggan said.
While winning out won't guarantee a spot in the postseason for a ninth straight year, depending on how the rest of the district plays out, the Falcons know that losing one of the remaining four games will make playing in November a difficult task.
"We're going back to the one-game-at-a-time theory," Duggan said.
Audubon enters the game 0-5, but the record is a bit deceiving. The Wheelers have been without some of their key players to discipline problems and just two weeks ago the team had a 20-15 lead over Lo-Ma at the half.
"It's kind of a scary thought to think of them with their full team intact," Duggan said. "They're not your typical 0-5 team."
The Wheelers are also looking to rebound from last week's 42-14 loss to Tri-Center.
Quarterback Bill Christensen scored both of Audubon's touchdowns last week - one on a kick return and the other on a 44-yard run - and has accounted for much of the team's offense this season.
"They're big and physical and have a talented quarterback," Duggan said. "He makes them go. He's a really talented, athletic kid. He's one of those kids that if you don't do your job he'll make big plays on you."
Then there are the pomp and circumstance of homecoming to deal with.
"It throws some more distractions toward us," Duggan said. "You hope they'll take a little pride at Al Leber Field and in the homecoming game ... we need to find a way to win."
Between The Lines
Who: Audubon (0-3, 0-5) vs. St. Albert (2-1, 2-3).
Where: Al Leber Field.
When: Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
What to watch for: Both teams look to rebound from a loss last week. The Wheelers fell to 0-5 as they dropped a game at Tri-Center.
Quarterback Bill Christensen scored both of Audubon's touchdowns. One came on a kick return, the other on a 44-yard run.
St. Albert, meanwhile, returns to Al Leber Field for homecoming after falling inbig District 1 game to Logan-Magnolia last week.
John O'Malley carried the ball seven time for 62 yards, including a pair of touchdowns for the Falcons last week. Quarterback Nolan Batten finished with 101 yards rushing and the game's opening score on a 72-yard run.

JEFF DELUCA, Staff Writer
10/06/2005