Straughn happy to host first quarterfinal game

Straughn’s football stadium was busy with activity Wednesday night with coaches and parents painting the field.

Not that anybody was complaining.

The painting was part of preparations for tonight’s first state quarterfinal playoff game at Straughn. The Tigers (9-3) host Cordova (11-1) in a Class 3A match-up.
It is only the second time Straughn has played in a state quarterfinal game. While in Class 2A, the Tigers played Greene County in the 2000 quarterfinals, but that was on the road.

“This is great for the kids,” Straughn head coach Trent Taylor said. “There is a lot of excitement.”

The game pits the Tigers, without much playoff experience, against a veteran Blue Devil team coming off two straight state championship appearances. Cordova won the state crown two years ago and finished runner-up to Leeds a year ago.

“Their kids know what it takes and know what it feels like to be there,” Taylor said of Cordova. “It will be a huge challenge for us.”

However, Taylor said his team has been an unflappable bunch all year, a trait that has carried the Tigers in recent weeks after early struggles.

In fact, Taylor said envisioning his team in the quarterfinals would have been hard to imagine during the middle of the season.

After a 2-1 start to open the season, Straughn dropped back-to-back games to Bayside Academy 27-0 and to Opp 20-7, looking bad in the process with turnovers and penalties.

The Tigers, though, have rebounded, winning seven straight since, including a pair of playoff games. One of the playoff games was a 14-0 victory over Bayside last week that avenged the earlier loss.

In the seven-game streak, the Tigers have outscored opponents 250-78.

“Ever since week six, everything has clicked,” Taylor said.

The veteran Tiger coach, now in his 23rd year with the program, said several elements have keyed the second-half surge.

Among those elements are an inexperienced offensive line gelling together, cutting down on turnovers and moving the quarterback from the shotgun to under center.

At the same time, quarterback Josh Dewrell, in his first year as starter, began to pick up the flow of reading defenses and running the offense.

But the biggest key was the return of running back Eric Samuel, the top returning rusher from last year. The junior missed the first half of the year after off-season shoulder surgery, but returned after the Opp game and has been a part of all seven straight wins.

In the seven games, he has rushed for 731 yards on just 87 carries (8.4 per carry) with nine touchdowns, averaging 104.4 a game. In the two playoff wins, he has 380 yards.

“Eric is not going to outrun folks, but he knows what to do with the football,” Taylor said. “He makes people miss, has good vision and tremendous balance. Getting him back was big, no doubt.”

On the surface, Straughn doesn’t have a whole lot of star names, though Samuel, Dewrell and defensive lineman Caleb Cochran are close.

“This bunch probably wouldn’t want it any other way,” Taylor said of the lack of big-name presence.

Straughn, according to Taylor, is mostly a low-key bunch that wins because of “a workmanlike mentality.”

Tonight’s opponent, Cordova, is just the opposite.

The Blue Devils feature Ryan Smith, who has already committed to Kentucky. Smith, a quarterback last year moved to running back, has rushed for 1,337 yards and 20 touchdowns on 147 carries.

Jake Howton has taken over at quarterback. He has rushed for 903 yards and 17 touchdowns on 110 attempts and completed 44-of-68 passes for 613 yards and five scores.

The two have a huge front, led by a 310-pounder and a 6-foot-5, 270-pound athlete.

The game features strength against strength.

The Blue Devils boast the second-highest scoring offense in Class 3A at 35.8 points a game. Only two teams have held them below 34 points, including 5A Hartselle, which dealt Cordova its only loss (22-13).

Conversely, Straughn’s defense has been stingy, allowing just 12.9 points a game, seventh best in Class 3A. The Tigers also have three shutouts.