Tigers try to break up losing skid

Graceville’s Preston Nichols looks to make a play in a game earlier this season. The Tigers will host the Cottondale Hornets Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m.

By: Dustin Kent | Jackson County Floridan
Published: October 03, 2011

The Graceville Middle School Tigers will try to break a three-game losing skid Tuesday night when they play host to Bonifay at 6 p.m.

After starting the season out with a win over Vernon on Sept. 6, the Tigers have struggled in their last three games, losing all three by big margins.

But Graceville has two games remaining on the schedule, and can begin to salvage the season with a good performance tonight against a Bonifay team that Tigers coach Phillip Haynes called “by far our toughest opponent of the year.”

“They’re very well coached,” Haynes said. “They have a very talented backfield. They’re real physical, so we just have to counter that by being physical ourselves. This game is going to be a real big challenge to the offensive and defensive lines. They have to step up in order for us to win.”

The coach said that the challenge the last few weeks has been keeping the players up after three straight blowout losses, but he believes his team is not down, and is ready to finish the season strong.

“We’re trying to stay positive and keep everybody in good spirits,” Haynes said. “We’re still waiting for somebody to step up and get us on the right track. But we’re not completely down on each other or anything like that. We just need something positive to come out of this game for us.”

The coach said he was putting the onus on running backs Deangelo Bell, Chris Oliver, and Eric Watford to help get the spark the running game, which has floundered since eighth-grader LaDarius Nix went out with a season ending injury last month.

“It has been pretty rough trying to replace (Nix),” Haynes said. “I feel like the guys we have are talented enough to do it. As a coach, I have to find the best way to use all of them.”

Graceville will finish the season on Oct. 11 against Grand Ridge.

Regardless of the outcome of the last two games, Haynes said he just wants to see his players making some progress.

“We want to keep playing hard and stay positive,” he said. “Middle School football is about the development of the players, so we’re just trying to get better at everything we can in these last two games.”