Russell Christian Academy’s Caleb Taylor reacts after making a play during the Warriors’ home game against Tuscaloosa Christian Aug. 16.

There isn’t much for Russell Christian Academy football coach Andy Braddock to complain about these days.

Braddock isn’t taking his team’s opponents lightly, nor is he easing off of tough coaching. Following Wednesday’s practice, Braddock had his players run numerous gassers not just to keep them in shape, but to also make it clear that leaving the locker room dirty — as they had earlier this week — was unacceptable.

Still, if a few scattered pairs of shoes is the Warriors’ biggest problem, then it could be a lot worse. RCA stands at 5-0 on the season heading into Friday’s game at East Memorial Christian Academy in Prattville, Alabama. Going into the fall, Braddock had big expectations for this year’s team due to its work ethic, and nothing he’s seen up to this point has changed his mind.

“I’m proud of this team so far,” Braddock said. “They’ve gotten after it. We’re not eaten up with talent, but they play hard every single play, and they work hard in practice. The leadership has been great. It’s an exciting team to coach.”

Both sides of the ball have played at an elite level, as RCA is scoring 50.2 points per game while limiting opponents to just nine points per contest. Known in recent years for their big-play ability, Braddock said the Warriors have shown themselves to be about more than just having a quick-strike offense.

“We have a good balance this year,” Braddock said. “We can go long, we can throw short and we can run the ball. We’re really doing something of everything and keeping the defense off-balance.”

On defense, the Warriors have pitched two shutouts, and holding opponents to less than 10 points per contest is atypical for most eight-man teams. That’s atypical against eight-man competition, and Braddock said the defensive success comes from every player knowing and executing their assignments.

“You can’t guess, you have to know — and when you know, you have to go,” Braddock explained. “They’re reading the plays really well, and we’re not getting burnt on big plays, and we’re not giving up big plays. The few points that have been scored on us, the other teams have earned it.”

Senior linebacker Aaron Brinson said opposing teams aren’t used to going against a well-oiled defensive machine, which has forced them into making mistakes on offense.

“We all know each other and play well with each other, and we all communicate, and that makes other teams scared, because they’ve never played a team that’s as well-organized as we are,” Brinson said. “They don’t know what we’re calling.”

Caleb Taylor, who played quarterback for RCA last season, shifted to wide receiver on offense so his younger brother, Micah Taylor, could take over under center. In five games, Taylor has caught 22 passes for 645 yards — a 161.3 yards-per-game average — and 12 touchdowns. That ranks him third on MaxPreps.com’s wide receiver rankings in eight-man football, though MaxPreps only has stats for his first four games listed.

“He’s adapted pretty well to (the position change),” Braddock said with a chuckle.

The middle child of three boys, Caleb was catching passes when Drew Taylor, the oldest of the three, was quarterbacking RCA’s offense. Now that he’s doing the same with Micah, Caleb said he appreciates how everything has come full circle.

“It’s pretty exciting knowing how Drew threw to me and now Micah is throwing to me,” Caleb said. “It’s fun scoring when your little brother is out there.”

Also a safety on defense, Caleb has tallied two interceptions and nine solo tackles in his first four games, per MaxPreps.com. He’s also the team’s punt and kickoff returner, with one punt return for a touchdown and two kickoff returns for a touchdown, all against Tuscaloosa Christian in the season opener.

“I bet if he wanted to, he could probably kick a field goal,” Brinson said of Caleb.

Brinson is having a strong year as well, as he currently has 37 solo tackles through five games.

“He isn’t afraid of contact,” Caleb said of Brinson. “He loves hitting people.”

Braddock said Brinson might not make his presence known in the hallways at RCA, but he certainly does on the field of play.

“His nickname is Batman… when he puts on that uniform, he changes, just like Bruce Wayne,” Braddock said. “He’s the kind of kid any coach would love to have. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but when the lights come on, on Friday nights, he always does his job.”

If he’s around his teammates, Brinson said talking comes more naturally — which is good, since he needs to be able to communicate with the rest of the defense.

“I’m kind of quiet, but around my friends I’m kind of loud and outgoing,” Brinson said. “On the football field, I’m just ready to do my job. I need to get into the zone.”

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Friday at East Memorial.