After nine straight weeks of game-preparation and full length practices, the Key West High football team got a bit of break this week due to tonight's bye.

Depending on how you look at it, the rest couldn't have come at a better time.

The Conchs, who got Thursday and today off from practice and won't return until Monday, can certainly use the time to heal from nagging injuries and other nicks and bruises that have built up over the last few months. On the other hand, however, the team is coming off its biggest win of the season -- a dominant 31-10 victory over Edison to remain in the postseason race -- and would surely love to carry that momentum right away into its next game, which will essentially be a "play-in" game for the state playoffs next Friday in the team's District 16-4A finale at Miami Jackson.

"It could go either way," Key West coach Jerry Hughes said of the bye working in the Conchs' favor. "It's good when it allows kids to catch up on injuries and what-not, but when you have some momentum and kids are eager, especially after a win like we had against Edison where everyone was inspired that we beat them as bad as we did, you want to keep going."

The best-case scenario for the Conchs (5-2, 1-1) would be for the team to return fresh and healthy -- both physically and mentally -- Monday to prepare for Jackson, the eighth-ranked 3A team in the state. The game will mark the team's first trip this season out of the Keys, and this four-day break will mark the longest stretch that some players have been away from team activities since practice opened in early August.

"These kids need to be away from us just like we need to be away from them," Hughes said. "They're probably tired of hearing us yelling at them, and we're tired of yelling at them."

Hughes said his main concern with the layoff is that some players' conditioning may suffer, an important factor considering that several players go both ways and play on special teams. To help avoid a drop-off, Hughes said he advised everyone to do some kind of workout each day to remain in shape heading into next week.

The break won't be all about relaxing, however, at least for the coaches. Hughes and defensive coordinator Paul Davis will head up to Curtis Park in Miami a week early tonight to do some advance scouting. The Generals will host Ferguson tonight in a meeting between Key West's next two opponents. After next week's Jackson game, the Conchs close the season at home against 6A Ferguson.

"It's better than watching them on film," said Hughes, who also travelled with his assistants to scout Booker T. Washington ahead of its game against Key West. "Plus, we're going to be able to kill two birds with one stone."

Assistant Sports Editor Willis Jacobson's column appears exclusively each Friday in The Citizen. He can be reached at 305-292-7777, Ext. 223, or at wjacobson@keysnews.com.