AHOSKIE – Some people view the non-conference schedule as a chance to get ready for league play.

Hertford County High School Head Football Coach Diego Hasty sees it a little differently.

“I want to win them all,” he said. “I treat the first one just like the last one. Hopefully, we’re playing better in the last one than the first one, but we try to win them all.

“Because the playoffs are seeded in football, every game is important,” Hasty continued.

While winning is important, Hasty knows a formidable opponent heads to Ahoskie Friday when Parkland High School comes to play.

“They’re very athletic and seem to be larger than last year,” the second-year skipper said. “I don’t have any film on them, I’m just going by word of mouth.”

Last year, during the first game in the series, Hertford County upset Parkland 22-6 to give Hasty his first win as the Bears’ skipper. This year HCHS will also be opening up their campaign against the Winston-Salem based school and looking to start 1-0.

The HCHS coach said he had been happy with some of what he had seen during practice and scrimmages.

“I’ve seen some bright spots and some spots that still need work,” Hasty said. “The attitudes have been very pleasing. We’ve had some good practices and some bad ones, but the attitude and work ethic have been good.”

The Bears will be adjusting their offense to more the style Hasty used during his previous stop at Northampton-West. Last year, the Bears ran almost exclusively out of the wishbone, but this year they will add the spread set to compliment that offensive style.

“We are a little more detailed here than we were at West,” he said. “We’re also going to run more no-huddle stuff.”

Hasty said his team had adjusted well to the new style of play and had accepted the changes that have come their way.

The coach said his biggest concern thus far is special teams.

“You can’t simulate special teams,” he said. “I won’t know how good we are on those until Friday night.

“I think our defense is faster and has stepped up,” he continued. “Our offense is good. We still have a long way to go on both, but I know we’ll have to play well in all three areas to win.”

Hasty said junior quarterback Antonio Vaughan would shoulder much of the

responsibility for the offense’s play and that the defensive secondary would be important since Parkland would favor a throwing offense.

The Bears open the 2008 campaign with eight offensive starters back and five returning defensive starters.

The team also has a complement of new assistant coaches which Hasty said has been important.

“I have more people helping me as assistant coaches and that’s allowed for more individual work,” Hasty said. “I think that’s a big difference.”

The Bears will open their home slate at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) when Parkland comes to town.