The undefeated Dublin Fighting Irish are looking to remain perfect in region play this Friday night at the Shamrock Bowl when they host the Northeast Raiders.
DUBLIN, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – The undefeated Dublin Fighting Irish are looking to remain perfect in region play this Friday night at the Shamrock Bowl when they host the Northeast Raiders.
At 6-0 so far this season, 22nd year head coach of the Fighting Irish Roger Holmes and this Dublin squad are showing out in all three phases of the ball so far and are looking a lot like the school’s 2019 state championship team.
Led by senior quarterback Micah O’Neal and senior runningback/linebacker Xavier Bostic, the Irish are one of the highest scoring offenses in Region 2-A Division I. Dublin has totaled 316 points through six games and is averaging more than 52 points a game.
If scoring at least 40, 50 or even 60+ points a game wasn’t enough to get the job done, the Dublin defense has really come together in the last month. After giving up 81 points in the first three games of the season, the Fighting Irish have only given up a total of three points in the last three games, all of which came against the ACE Gryphons last week in a 48-3 win.
Back-to-back games against Washington and Jefferson County saw 49 and 56 point shutout victories, respectively.
Now, Dublin will face its toughest test this season: a 5-1 Northeast Raiders team that is averaging 300 yards a game on the ground and is undefeated in Region 2-A Division I play as well. However, Coach Holmes has gotten the better of Northeast the last two times they have faced and is 5-2 all time against the Raiders in his Dublin coaching career.
Discipline will be the key to winning this matchup, according to both coaches, which could ultimately determine the winner of the entire region.
“Obviously it’s going to be a major challenge, but we think we have a good football team,” Coach Holmes said. “We also know that, so does Northeast. At the end of Friday night, both of us will experience the caliber of teams that we are going to have to face if we’re in the playoffs. So, that’s what I’m more looking for, is to really find out where our football team is, because I think (Northeast) are really one of the top four or five teams in the state.”
O’Neal knows that if they do what they are supposed to do in the game, they should come out with the victory Friday night.
“We came a long way,” he said. “I remember fall. A lot of people didn’t know their roles. We could barely run our favorite play. A lot of people tuned in. I think we got the same goal. They are looking like a pretty solid team. We are both undefeated in the region, and I’m just ready to go play. I know it’s going to be a good game.”
Bostic is excited for his team’s expectations and the home field advantage for Dublin in such an important game.
“A lot of people weren’t sure of what we wanted to do, but everybody started buying in and we got better each week,” he said. “It being a home game, it means a lot. We are going to have a lot of fans here. Hopefully they don’t have a lot and we got our crowd on our side.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Shamrock Bowl.
Catch live pregame coverage during 41NBC News at 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. Don’t miss highlights from our Game of the Week, and others, on this Friday’s edition of The End Zone during 41NBC News at 11.
