For the first time this season, Selma is having to deal with handling success. The Saints won 20-6 over Sumter Central on Friday, giving the team its first victory of the season and Keon Handley his first career head coaching win.

Now the key is building on that success.

Handley spent the first part of this week trying to get his young team refocused on Northridge, Selma’s upcoming opponent.

“Our focus is not where I need it to be but it’s a day-to-day process,” Handley said. “We know we’ve got a region game. We’re trying to put ourselves in a position to compete, and we know we need to win these next four in a row to make the playoffs to end the regular season.”

Tuesday’s practice started with a blocking and tackling drill.

The point to the drill was obvious — Selma wants to be a physical team that can control the line of scrimmage.

Handley started the season with a spread-based offense, but he’s altered it quite a bit following Selma’s slow start.

“I’ve incorporated some under center stuff to help us, but it’s still based under spread principles,” Handley said.

Defensive lineman DeVaughan Blackmon, one of the key players on Selma’s defense, is lining up in the backfield more on offense to help clear out holes in the running game.

Based on the opponents in front of them, Selma has a chance to get back in the class 6A, region 4 race.

The Saints host Northridge (1-5) and then play at Brookwood (1-4), two teams that are struggling this year too. Handley sees the opportunity in front of his team, but knows the Saints have to continue to take it one week at a time.

“I really haven’t focused on the future. We have to focus on our current opponent right now,” Handley said.

A win over Northridge Friday would give the Saints their first region win of the season. Northridge’s only win this season came against Brookwood.

“They are big and they are going to be good,” Handley said of Northridge.

“They are in the process of finding themselves like us and once they figure it out, it’s going to be interesting.”