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Our T.R. MIller Tigers had a great victory over the Escambia County Blue Devils last Friday. The Blue Devils had as big and strong a team as I can remember them having in a long time, and I have been involved in quite a few Miller-Atmore games. People who watch the game but are not involved with the team daily are not aware of many things that occur during the week. They only see the players play the game. Our team had a difficult week. We had a short week having played Saturday in Montgomery. Coaches had less time to plan. We had a hot week, and several of our players had illness. When our players returned to practice on Monday, many of them still had soreness from the game. We had to come down off the cloud of happiness from the Leeds game and focus on a tough Atmore team. I knew that we would give a good effort, but the concentration and preparation was not as good as it had been for the Leeds game. But one of the great things about football is that THERE ARE NO EXCUSES! When the game starts, it matters not about your week or who is injured or what the weather is like. What matters is your effort, your determination and your courage. We made a great many mistakes in the game, and did not play the kind of game we would like to have played. But we still managed to win the game. We recognize that we have many things left to work on and improve. But all teams do this time of year regardless of the level of play. It is of most importance not where you start, but where you finish. What we are trying to determine is do we have the character, the toughness, the work ethic to make the playoffs and play with the best teams in our class. Only time will tell.
This past May I went to the wedding of one of our former players, Justin Lambert in Phenix City. We stayed in Auburn and the morning after the wedding I decided to take my daily walk around the campus at Auburn University. It was an early Sunday morning and the campus was mostly deserted. I had a good walk and on my way back to the hotel I noticed a tent down the road. As I approached I recognized it to be an old time tent revival right in the middle of Auburn. Outside the tent was a big sign and on the sign it said this........”Remember the old ways” ...Jeremiah 6:16. When I returned to the hotel I checked the Gideon Bible there in the room. Jeremiah was warning the Israelites about their wicked ways and God had told him to encourage them to remember the ways of their ancestors, to worship God daily. I had just recently decided that I would work with the offensive line this year and I was a little uncertain about what to emphasize, what techniques to use and how to go about teaching these guys. I was a little uncertain that I would have enough energy to do it on a daily basis. What Jeremiah said made sense and I wondered out loud if maybe our offensive line need to go back to the old ways, and get the aggressiveness and enthusiasm of the 1970’s when the Tigers were a great option team. So I remembered the old ways and set in motion the attitude and work ethic that I remember from those times. And our players have responded in a great way. We are not the biggest or best blockers in the state, but our effort and toughness reminds me of those great teams of the late 70’s when Donnie Rotch’s offensive lines always seemed to open up some big holes. Football has changed a lot in the last twenty years, but sometimes we need to go back to the old ways and remember that it is a physical game. And that blocking and tackling are still the two most important fundamentals of the football.
On Friday we must go to Mobile to play the Cottage Hill Warriors. I have been impressed with their skill and ability to throw and catch the football. They are aggressive on defense and are very well coached. They are short on depth as many 3A teams are and we must attack them and force them to play every down if we want to win the game. But this is not about them as much as it is about us. Can we continue to do the hard things in football? ........to block and tackle and play aggressively throughout a very long season? Our teams of the 1970’s were known for their aggressiveness, courage and effort. It would be great if the 2009 edition of the Tigers played like their counterparts of 30 years ago. Only time will tell.
“This is what the Lord says, ‘ Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths. Ask where the good way is and walk in it. And you will find rest for your souls.”
Jeremiah 6:16
