After a loss to a sizable, speedy Ferriday High School football team, Block High School head coach Bo Sproles has to navigate his team through another steep step of the Bears’ brutal schedule.

LHSAA Class 1A Block (0-2) is set to face Class 3A Jena on the road. The game is set for Thursday at 7 p.m., previously scheduled for Friday.

Sproles, who said he is coaching a young team that is still adapting to the speed of high school football, said it was back to the basics for Block this week in practice.

“I think we needed Ferriday to show us a lot of our weaknesses, and that brought things into perspective,” Sproles said.

With the game rescheduled to Thursday, Block has the misfortune of another short week to install its game plan and allow players to heal from the previous week’s injuries.

“Today was a little different because we had a couple starters banged up and we kept them iced downs,” Sproles said. “Getting ready for Jena, I know they’re a big physical team. We have to do what we have to do and keep moving forward every day.”

Jena is the third of five games on Block’s schedule against teams in higher classifications. Sproles said he is trying to keep his players healthy and positive as they navigate a brutal schedule to district play.

“It’s called survival,” Sproles said. “Our motto is next man up. For five straight weeks we have no healing time … it’s top-end talent every week. There is no holiday in that schedule.”