A MEDIA GENERAL NEWSPAPER : i1 Fareefmn ? 1 Tig e s try to f in ish_ strong After suffering their most dis- appointing loss of the season; the Graceville Tigers will look to get back on track Friday night against Rocky Bayou. The Tigers (1-6, 0-2 in district play) host the winless Knights for Homecoming at 7 p.m., and should be able to get the sour taste of last week's loss out of their system. Graceville was eliminated from postseason contention with a 42-6 loss to Jefferson County last week. It's the first time GI-(S has not made the playoffs since 2004. Graceville coach Todd Wertenberger said his team is ifot happy to be out of the playoff mix, but the Tigers will still look to finish the season strong. "It's Homecoming week and everyone is feeling good about that,"' the coach said. "Rocky Bayou should be a bounce-back game-for us. "We need to finish the season for pride itnothing else. We need to see what kind of team we have, how we're going to react to this situation. We could decide to just give up, or we could bounce back and finish the season strong. Hopefully. we'll respond to the bell and per up and pty Gracealle quarterback Jacky M Fridas's -gameyhpuld be a against Bloontstown earlier this great opporTnu.btswalie Tigel> Noridan File Photo to get well ....... .. ,' The lingle rre 11 second-yMtr font hall pvyram that hasn I begg. Coupndile tool. a 56-16 win over coropellut e YL.any quint this a- th Ram ha last week. son. ,....,,, ,,,.. ..T Thel'le souggling real hard," Jeffes son (Tengry ofegled Weste-nbel pr said of the Kriights. Rocks Bain .. -74 -2. and ""That'- pait of the challenge, that iles (3) holds the-ball out for fullback Leron Hoove~r during a game should be able to get all of its reserves ample field action, but Wertenberger said the goal was See FINISH, P e 2B > the kids know how easy a game it is, so that makes it more difficult to get them up for it. Hopefully, they'll get up and play." - It's a game in which the Tigers n, O[isT[N KENT FLORIrwNSPORTsEDITOR The Snecab Parates. Avill try to bounce back from a disappoint - ing loss Friday night as they head back on the road to take on the Northview Chiefs at 7p.m. Sneads (4-3, 4-2 in district - play).suffered a devastating 35 O loss to South Walton iast week in a key di uiet contest- It won't be much easier for the Pirates this week agamst a Northriew (5-2, 4-2 in district play) squad that has won four of its last five gamerand only lost by eight to South Walton earher this season. . It's a very fast team," Sneads coach Don Dowhng said of the Chiefs. They've got some good offensive linemen up there,1ftn otne skill people-that - "They do a good job of get . y' he bloallwi everyone offense, so we just have to be SOUtiddefensively." Defense hasbeen ;t 10381 strength for the Pa rates f or much of the season. However, the Seahawks used a balanced offensive attack to light up the scoreboard and hand the Pirates their most lop- sided defeat of the season- "That was just a butt-whip- ping," Dowling said of' the loss- "That's hard to swallow. But when you get your legs cut out frorn under you, you have to get back up. That's the measure of a man. We've been knocked down and stepped on, now we have to get back up." . Dowling said the mood at practice Monday was a sour one, but the.team rallied back on Tuesday with the aid of the team's captains. co h ,, were all still down about it, but we.talked to the .captains and See.PIRATES, Page 2B > Sneads' Mark Lawson tries to run by a Vernon defender during a ame earlier this season. The Pirates hit the road Friday to take on te Northview Chiefs in a district game. -Flondan File Photo j Sneads' Ashley Smith puts the ball over the net in a match earlier this season. The Lady Pirates defeated Gracevi le and vernon in three games each Tuesday .and Wednesday to advance to tonight's District 2-2A championship game against Blountstown in Blountstown at 7 p.m. The Lady Pirates' record now is 24-4. Floridan File Photo SECTION ins id e m THURSDAY somers swee b GRMS BY SHELIA MADER FLORIDAN CORRESPONDENT .The boys' basketball season for area middle schools tipped off yesterday with the county teams squaring off against each other. Cottondale traveled to Grand Ridge Middle School and walked away with a pair of wins. In "A" team action, it was Cottondale winning 34-27, while the Hornets "B" team won 29-27. In the .A team game, Cottondale jumped out to a 13-5 first quarter lead before Grand Ridge battled back to make it an 18-13 game at the half. Taking the court after half- time, Cottondale posted 10 points and held the Indians to five to take a 28-18 lead into the final period of.play. Grand Ridge was led in scoring by Darius Williams and Dustin Pittman, who both put up'eight points. For thd Hornets, it wits Prentice Webb who racked up 13 points to lead Cottondale. In "B" team action, the Hornets' defense held the Indians to just two points in the first quarter, while th6 Indians put up 10 to take a10- 2 lead. The second quarter belonged to the hidians, as they held Cottondale to two E:' nde 8t Both teams exploded on offense following the halftime break, with Cottondale scor- ing 11 points while Grand Ridge had nine to make it a 23-17 going into the final peri- od. Grand Ridge came close to taking the lead in the final quarter but fell just short with a two-point loss.. Leading the Hornets in scor- ing fqr the "B" team was Tre Lee with 11 .points, followed by Wesley Spooner with eight points For Grand Ridge,-it was AJ Jolvison tind Garrett Moody with eight points each, fol- lowed closely by Blake Johnson with seven. Cottoridale will host, Graceville on Thursday with el"B" team taking the court "fand Ridge will host Bonifay with games scheduled to start at 4:30 p m. Pirates looking for bounce-back performance C ;II r~$lF District duel Copyrighted Material Syndicated Content