DEMOPOLIS &8212; Coming off of their out-of-state road game Saturday, John Essex High School head coach Fentress Means said his group is beginning to pull the pieces together and play competitive football.

Though the team fell 13-8 and remains winless on the season, Means said the group is beginning to show flashes of winning-caliber play. He said in the group&8217;s loss in Columbia, Tenn., the team played hard against their opponent, but several slips cost them a win.

Means said the road game seemed to change some of the negative attitudes that have hampered the team in practice and games thus far this season. He said he hopes the positive attitude elicited by the game will carry on into the rest of the season.

Means said the game Friday against A.L Johnson High School is a potential first step for the group on the long road to the playoffs.

Means said his team&8217;s newly acquired spring on the field will certainly be tested by the traveling Eagles squad, who have only dropped one game to No. 10 ranked South Lamar. Means, for his part, has been working to give his group any edge they can glean going into the game.

Means said from what he has seen in tape the group relies heavily on the run, but noted the team can throw if the situation warrants it. He said he is throwing schemes at his players he has picked out of the tapes on the Eagles in hopes they will be prepared to face what the quick A.L. Johnson team will throw at them.