The Les George era got off to a positive start Thursday, as the Bears went into Goodman and handled the host Holmes Bulldogs, winning 34-6.
Now the focus shifts to Week Two and the home opener for Southwest when the Northeast Tigers come to town.
"Obviously there's a lot of excitement, but we've moved on to the next one," George said. "Now it is all about having the mindset of focusing on the next opponent and going to work everyday to earn the right to win."
The Bears (1-0) overcame the rainy and slick elements last week in the win over Holmes, finding success on the ground with 311 yards rushing. 169 of those yards came from Chris Hunter and 85 from Jaylen Williams, and both also contributed two scores apiece.
The Bears proved they can succeed on the road, but George adds that being back home in a more familiar setting can help his team more, but they aren't looking at it in that sense.
"Being at home is always an advantage, but you try not to review it that way," George said. "At the end of the day it is the next game regardless of where you play it. It'll be nice to have all of our fans from the community to come out and watch."
In preparing for Northeast, George reviewed film on the Tigers and was impressed with what he saw.
"They are really good, the coaching staff does a great job," George said. "They obviously had a big win last week against East Central. They've got a lot of talented players and they play really hard."
George adds that the Tiger offense doesn't present just one scheme. Yet he believes his defense is ready for the challenge.
"They are multiple," he said. "They give you some variety personnel-wise. They've got a really good athletic quarterback and their running back is a really good player too."
The Tigers are led by quarterback Jeremiah Harrell, who went 12-of-22 for 113 yards and an interception last week. The running game was led by Qua Middlebrooks, who had 57 yards and a score on 17 carries.
The Bears will counter with a strong defense led by defensive backs Skylar Husband and Gary Bailey, defensive linemen Miquon Merriweather and Ryshawn Perry and linebacker BJ Mitchell, who led Southwest in tackles with seven against Holmes.
The Bears and the Tigers will kick off Thursday at 7 p.m. at John I. Hurst Stadium. For those who can't make it, the game will be streamed on BearTV at https://go.smccbears.tv/.
