A bye week was a welcome relief for the St. Aloysius football team last week.

Coach B.J. Smithhart said the Flashes (1-8, 1-6 Region 4-1A) were able to work on fundamentals while also experimenting with some moves for next season. Friday at Balzli Field, St. Al will see if the bye week paid off when Bogue Chitto (6-2, 5-2) visits.

“We brought some 8th-graders up, went back to work on fundamentals like blocking and tackling, and tried to figure out some positions for next year,” Smithhart said.

Smithhart moved up seven 8th-graders from the junior high team. None are expected to play, but Smithhart said it was important for them to get an early taste of high school football.

“There is a big difference between high school football and junior high,” Smithhart said. “We can use this time to let them get used to the speed of the game and get ready for next spring. We were able to have two pretty good days of contact last week.”

With just one win, the 2011 season has been downright frustrating for Smithhart and his team.

“It’s been a tough year,” Smithhart said. “A lot of people just see our record, but I feel like we continue to get better. Two weeks ago, we played Stringer and were pretty physical with them. But they just had more depth and size.”

One thing the Region 4-1A race has shown this season, it’s been all about matchups. Bogue Chitto lost badly to Cathedral two weeks ago. Cathedral, in turn, lost to Dexter, a team the Flashes were competitive with until late in the first half.

“Bogue Chitto doesn’t match up well with Cathedral, but they are still one of the most athletic teams in our district,” Smithhart said. “They have a lot of team speed. They are a big-play team.”

The Bobcats need a win to clinch a playoff berth. They’ve lost two straight games vs. Cathedral (61-28) and Stringer (31-18) after opening with five straight region wins. They are tied for third with Dexter.

“We’ve got a good league,” Smithhart said. “It didn’t surprise me that Dexter beat Cathedral. They’ve done it three times in the last two years.”

Bogue Chitto is led by dual-threat back Brandon Wells with 805 rushing yards and seven TDs.

Carlton Campbell paces the Flashes with 1,059 rushing yards and six scores. Linebacker Sage Lewis is the top St. Al tackler with 83 stops.