Mission Bay football is looking to set the tone in their Week 1 matchup vs. Christian High on Thursday, Aug 17. A showdown with the Div. II Patriots, a team that posted a 6-5 record and shocked some as they took home the Eastern League title, going 4-0 in conference play en route to a playoff berth in 2022.

However, before Week 1, the Bucs had the opportunity to get some fine-tuning done in their lone preseason game this fall when they took on Brawley High in the San Diego Kick-Off Classic.

The results were a mixed bag, as they fell 21-14. At times, the Bucs showed flashes of how dominant they can be while also having some off moments and struggles in small things, such as ball security.

“We saw some positives in our preseason game in areas such as our play along the offensive, QB, WR, and in our secondary,” said head Coach Greg Tate, “But there are areas we also need to fix quick, such as our ball security as we put the ball on the ground five times. We only lost by a score even with those five turnovers, so we just need to eliminate those. You can’t expect to win games if you do that.”

Some standout performances vs. Brawley came from starting QB Charlie Hutchinson, who handled his first real game snaps with ease and showed off the zip on the arm with a nice seam route TD pass.

On the defensive end, LB Caden Taffe and first-year corner Gavin Girouard stepped up as both forced turnovers for the Buccaneers’ defense with INTs for both players that not only kept the Bucs in it but aided their turnover differential.

For the showdown vs. Christian, one of Tate’s emphases in the game plan is to get his first-year signal caller Hutchinson in a rhythm early. And with the offensive line, backfield, and wide receiver group that is seemingly stacked on paper, the opportunity for Hutchinson and the Bucs’ offense to thrive.

“We want to get Charlie in Rhythm and feeling as comfortable as possible,” Tate said, “He’s done a great job running the offense and making reads, and with the protection of the offensive line, we hope he is able to stand in there and make plays.”

To help aid Hutchison, the Buccaneers will also look to their backfield duo of Marcos Korch and Taffe to help keep the offensive attack balanced and the Patriots guessing what is coming next.

On the defensive side of the ball, Tate hopes to use the team’s size physically on the outside to his advantage, namely in red zone situations. As with the length and play style of the Bucs’ corners, it can allow the front seven to pin their ears back and attack.

“We want to come out and be physical on the back end,” said Tate, “We have a ton of faith in our guys and we want them to play man and put the pressure on early.”

For some teams, playing a division-higher opponent may be intimidating, but for these Bucs, it’s a welcomed challenge. “We just need to play our game. Take it one play at a time, and don’t let the moment get too big,” said Tate.

The Buccaneers will kick off at 7 p.m. at Christian High School on Aug. 17.