Coach Jeremiah Brassell said Tiger gridders played all homecoming week but didn’t play Friday night.
“Homecoming is a lot of fun but it has a lot of distractions and we just never got focused this week,” said Brassell. “I worked hard to get their attention and we ran for about an hour one day at practice. Coaches worry about this happening and I did my best to avoid it.”
The Tigers lost 54-6 to Shelby North Side Friday night in a game where Northside played well and got the big plays and Coahoma Early struggled.
The Tigers looked to make a game of it and looked good in the first quarter, as they made two sustained drives and forced the Gators to punt on their first drive and then grabbed the interception to stop the Gator’s second series.
But North Side found their groove in the second quarter and put 28 points on the board.
Coahoma scored their lone touchdown on a five play drive that covered 62 yards. Senior fullback Markevious Brown ran left to bump his way into the end zone. The two point conversion was no good.
With the game 14-6, the Tigers looked to make a go of it, but North Side scored two more touchdowns and carried a 28-6 lead into the halftime locker room.
“We made some adjustments and I thought we could still improve on the situation,” said Brassell. “Our guys just ran out of gas. We didn’t block or tackle well the second half.”
The Gators intercepted a pass and ran 98-yards for the score in the third and then turned around and recovered the ensuing kick to Coahoma at the 27 and scored three plays later.
With the score at 46-6 at the end of three, the clock ran out quickly for the Tigers.
The Tigers also saw a player carried off the field to an ambulance. Brassell said the youngster was last reported in good condition with no serious injuries.
“We have been bit by the injury bug and can’t stand to lose any more players,” said Brassell. “Right now the offensive line is a big question mark and while we still have some kids who can handle the ball and make plays, we’ve got to find some kids who can block and tackle.
Brassell did tell his squad immediately after the game that this was a non-conference game and the Tigers 3-3 record is acceptable with the caliber of teams they have played.
“We start district play next week and right now we are undefeated,” Brassell told his team. “I’m looking for players who have some energy and passion and want to play this game. Our preseason is over and it’s time to get serious and win some games.”
Coahoma Early travels to Belzoni Friday night to take on Humphreys County. The Cowboys are 0-5.
