Besides any points on the scoreboard, St. Aloysius coach B.J. Smithhart said it was obvious what his team was missing in last week’s shutout loss to Cathedral.

“I think we’re still playing better, we just lacked intensity. For a big game, we just weren’t as fired up as we should’ve been,” Smithhart said.

This Friday, the Flashes (1-5, 1-4 Region 4-1A) have a slightly less marquee opponent when Resurrection comes to town. The Eagles (1-4, 0-4) have lost four straight games and are tied with Hartfield Academy for last place in Region 4-1A.

Smithhart said regaining the fire that led St. Al to a close loss to Dexter and a win over Hartfield in back-to-back weeks is necessary to get back on the winning track, no matter how much their opponent is struggling.

“We’re not at a point where we can overlook anybody,” Smithhart said. “If we compete and play inspired football, we’ll have a good shot. If we come out flat, it could be trouble.”

Resurrection won its opener against West Lincoln, then dropped four straight region games to Cathedral, Bogue Chitto, Dexter and Stringer. All four are playoff contenders, and the latter three are tied for first place. Bogue Chitto is ranked No. 1 in this week’s Associated Press Class 1A poll and Stringer is No. 4.

“We had to play four top-10 teams in a row, so we have definitely looked forward to October,” Resurrection coach Ben Durham said with a laugh. “I have counted the days and minutes until September was over.”

Both teams enter Friday’s game banged up. St. Al has lost three players to knee injuries in the last two weeks, while Resurrection’s Cameron Lane is likely to miss the game with a concussion. Lane, a running back and linebacker, is the Eagles’ leading rusher and one of their best defensive players.

Beyond the injuries, both coaches said their teams match up well with each other. Each has a big offensive line and few upperclassmen. St. Al has three seniors and nine juniors, while Resurrection has three seniors and four juniors.

A lack of depth and experience have led both Smithhart and Durham to mix and match their personnel groups to find the right fits. Smithhart likes what his team has done on defense lately, allowing 45 points in its last three games after giving up 119 in its first three, but said they still need to generate some offense to win games.

In its five losses, St. Al has scored a total of 31 points.

“We’ve just got to find a spark,” Smithhart said. “We’ve had some bright spots. We’re just not all together on offense. Defensively, I think we’ve come a long way.”