WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – The Watertown Red and Black are home for a 3rd straight week this Saturday night, playing host to Auburn in an Empire Football League contest.
The Red and Black come into the game 6-0 on the season in EFL play, while Auburn is riding a 2 game win streak and sits at 3-3 in league play.
The last time these two teams met was on July 16th in Auburn, where the Red and Black beat the Pride 56-0.
Despite that, Red and Black Coach George Ashcraft knows this is a different Auburn team from the squad Watertown faced back in July.
”Well, they picked up a few people, I know that, that would fill out their squad a little bit more. They haven’t played in a couple weeks, so you never know. I just know that every game is always a good game and that’s why you have to play ‘em. With what we have for an arsenal on offense and defense, we’re rolling along pretty good and I can’t imagine too big for a bump but again you never know,” said Ashcraft.
Watertown enters the game winners of 6 straight and has the highest scoring offense in the league, putting up 188 points, while giving up a league best 21 points.
The Red and Black lead the league in just about every category and Ashcraft says he’s impressed with how his team has executed in all 3 phases of the game so far in 2022.
”Yeah, I’m pretty proud of the whole group, you know, both sides of the ball, like I said, special teams. The coaches have put together a great game plan every week and the players are sticking to it and they continue to do that, good things will come out of it in the end. Just keeping it together and keep moving along like we have been and we’re gonna be fine,” said Ashcraft,
Ashcraft says one of the keys to the Red and Black’s success has been the 12th man, with big crowds on hand for the team’s last 2 home contests.
The coach says he expects another great crowd this weekend at the field that bares his name before the team enjoys a break in the schedule.
”Two great crowds, and this week hopefully they come back for a 3rd time before we have a little break in the action so to say. Then when we come back and play down the road against Broome County and teams like that I want twice as many people here if we can because that hometown crowd really changes things on all aspects of the game. It’s pretty good,” said Ashcraft.
The Red and Black and Auburn kickoff is set for Saturday night at 7 PM at George Ashcraft Field at the Alex Duffy Fairgrounds.
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