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WEIRTON -- The youthful Madonna football team has successfully passed its first big challenge, making a successful trip to Hancock, Md. and leaving with a 52-0 win to open the season.
This week, Mauro Monz, who got his initial win at the helm of the Blue Dons in Saturday's victory, will look to lead his club into another big test when the 3-0 Bridgeport Bulldogs invade Jimmy Carey Stadium Friday night.
The Dons successful trip was both a bonding experience for the new staff and the young club and a successful first outing.
"It was a great trip," Monz said. "It was three hours down and three hours back so it a great opportunity to go down there and bond as a team. We spent a lot of time together and continuing to get to know each other, and I think the kids responded well.
"It's not the norm to open up three hours away on the road."
Coming home to play for the first time in the Monz era at Madonna is exciting, and as most things are with the Dons' youthful roster, it's a new experience.
"It's great to be playing home," Monz said. "We're so young that I'm not sure the magnitude of a home opener has really sunk in for them them yet, it's so new to them. Our starting quarterback is new, we have new starters on the offensive line, our running back is a new starter. This is all going to be new to them.
"It's exciting for them to get to go out and play. This is our fourth opportunity to play together, two scrimmages and the first game, so we're starting to get a feel for each other and learning to play together."
The challenge this week, however, is a much different one as the Bulldogs bring a high-powered offense to Weirton and look to be a much improved team from the one Madonna defeated in Belmont County a season ago.
"Bridgeport is a really good football team, they're really well-coached," Monz said. "They run a spread offense, their quarterback, Colin Jackson, and his brother, Avery Jackson, at wide receiver are an excellent combination for them.
"Colin Jackson is a really good quarterback for them. He's a senior, he's thrown for a ton of yards, he gets the ball out quick and doesn't take sacks. He is the key to their team.
"Avery Jackson gives them a really good one-two punch and they really like to throw the ball to senior Mason Aberts, too. He's got a bunch of yards and touchdowns. They also have a really good freshman Jaki Threet who they like to get the ball to."
Monz has felt his team's stength this preseason leading up to last week has been its defense, and it showed why holding Hancock to just 12 yards of offense in pitching the shutout on Saturday.
However, the Bulldogs' offensive unit is clicking on all cylinders coming in, and will provide a tough test for the Dons' defensive unit."
"They're scoring 50-plus point per game, so it's going to be a heckuva challenge for us," Monz said. "It's a good early test for our defense. We got a chance to scrimmage Tyler, who is one of the best teams in the state, and felt pretty good (about our defense) coming out of that, but Tyler is a much different offense.
"Bridgeport is a different style with a veteran quarterback and they want to throw the ball. They have a good mix, but at the end of the day they want to get the ball in the hands of their wide receivers"
The kick on Friday night is set for 7 p.m.