Max Yera staff writer

The Normans 0-5 varsity football squad will play the undefeated 5-0 El Segundo Eagles tonight in what will be the team’s first Ocean League game of the season.

“I think in this game, being able to come out and run the ball effectively and efficiently is something that we really need to focus on on offense,” Head Coach Charlie Stansbury said.

One player that will notably carry this weight of running the ball is senior running back Rashad Ysaguirre.

“I believe my teammates will execute and play their roles and I’ll definitely be the one to get it all started,” Ysaguirre said.

However, though the Normans will hope to take the game out of the Eagles’ favor with a successful rushing attack, the Eagles’ themselves will look to do the same as they will often look to star running back Taz Tauaese.

“Their best player [Taz Tauaese] is a running back…He runs hard and does a lot of good things in special teams as well,” Stansbury said.

Senior linebacker Dylan Rutigliano understands the difficulty in stopping a player like Tauaese.

“We can’t stop moving our feet and we need people on defense running to the ball because he doesn’t want to go down,” Rutigliano said.

However, in their effort to stop El Segundo’s run game, the Normans will be without senior outside linebacker Jonny Hakimi, who has a tear in his labrum.

Nevertheless, despite this challenge, the Normans are not a team to shy away from a good offensive team.

“[Tauaese’s] a good player. We’ve watched him on film but he’s a teenage guy just like us. We just have to do what coach has been telling us. We’ve got the talent to stop anybody. It’s all just staying mentally focused and strong now,” senior wide receiver and cornerback PJ Goolsby said.

Will the Normans successfully stop the run and get their first win of the season? Come tonight at 7:00 p.m. to find out.