Eagles flying high after quick start

GAINESVILLE - Two of the GISA's most powerful football teams early in the 2003 season will collide Friday when Riverside Military Academy travels to Monticello to play Piedmont Academy.

Piedmont (3-0) and Riverside (2-0) are both near the top in power ratings in the GISA and coming off impressive wins. Riverside is seventh in the I-AAA division while Piedmont is third in the I-AA division.

Riverside coach Doug Dixon said he thinks it could be an even better game than last year's, which Riverside won 17-14 in the final seconds.

"It was a great, exciting game and we made some big plays at the end to win. I hope it doesn't come down to the last play again, but it should be another good game," he said.

The Eagles are led by quarterback David Elam, who had a solid game last week against Monroe Academy in a 38-20 win. Elam ran for 80 yards and threw for another 80 yards as Riverside's starters built a big lead before giving way to the reserves.

Piedmont, which was 10-3 last and lost to eventual GISA I-AAA champ Brentwood, has won two of its games on the road. They run a couple of variations of the veer attack and come right at the defense, Dixon said.

"They come right at you and we're going to have to play a very solid game defensively to win again," he said.

Dixon said they're ready to keep the good start going.

"We're excited about being 2-0 and we can't win them all if we don't win the first two. But we're taking things one at a time. But right now I like where we're headed," he said.

The Eagles were just 4-7 last year, so they could equal their win total from all of last year before the end of September.

But Riverside will find out how much it has improved this year because beginning Friday, five of its next seven games are on the road.

"Thta's always a challenge but that's the way the schedule is. You have to play them no matter where you go so you just get ready to play and don't worry about it," Dixon said.