Published: November 05, 2008 11:59 pm      

Reasons to win

Tigers are out of playoffs, but .500 record still in reach

There is the longest of longshots the Tigers are still fighting for a playoff spot entering Friday’s season finale at Cleburne.

Then there’s the reality — Friday’s game is really just about pride.

It will mark the second consecutive year the Tigers enter the last game basically out of the playoff chase -- there is a remote chance the Tigers can get into the postseason, but they need to beat Cleburne, have Midlothian win by 18 or more points against a Waco High team that beat the Tigers, 35-6. Then the Tigers have to win a coin flip.

Again, the Tigers’ playoff hopes are dim.

You have to go back to 1977-78 to find the last time the Tigers missed the playoffs two years in a row. But by Friday night, that dubious distinction will all be out of their minds.

The Tigers (4-5, 2-4) know in Cleburne they will get an opponent hungry for a win -- the Yellow Jackets are 0-6 in District 16-4A after winning all three of their non-district games. It will be senior night at Yellow Jackets Stadium. You can bet Cleburne will come out and fight has hard as it has all season.

So the Tigers will have to match that intensity, and match it early.

“We’ve been establishing it all week that just because this is likely our last game that there’s still a game to be played,” Tigers coach Dave Henigan said. “Hopefully we’ll see the results Friday night.

“There’s no doubt you want to send your seniors out on a positive note. Cleburne will be thinking the same thing.”

Henigan, who started out this season on the coaching hot seat, isn’t really spending a lot of time wondering about his job status. He’s more interested in the Tigers finishing the season with a .500 record.

The Tigers went 5-5 last season. They were 5-6 the year before. So even if they can’t end a string of seasons without a winning record, there is still a lot to play for Friday night just as far as the win-loss situation.

“You don’t want to finish with a losing record,” Henigan said. “It’s not what we wanted to play for.”

Cleburne coach Phil Young has talked all week about finishing on a high note.

“We just need to make sure we take this last week real seriously, and I know we will,” Young told the Cleburne Times Review earlier this week. “We’ve got a great group of young men. It’s just a shame we can’t win a few more games. We couldn’t win this one (Friday) night because University didn’t make many mistakes. They did a heck of a job. I give those guys a lot of credit. They’re really good, played hard and played fast.”

The Yellow Jackets have not been competitive in 16-4A games. They have been outscored by an average of 38-7 in district games.

But Cleburne only lost to Midlothian, 14-7, at home, so this is hardly a guaranteed win for a Tigers’ team that has allowed touchdowns on 65 percent of its opponents possessions the last three games.

One thing Henigan is sure of is his players will play hard Friday night.

“This team has been resilient,” Henigan said. “When we’ve asked them to do something, they’ve done it. They have great character.

“They won’t be hard to motivate.”

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Todd Wills may be contacted via e-mail at twills@corsicanadailysun.com



Corsicana at Cleburne

7:30 p.m. Friday

At Yellow Jacket Stadium



RECORDS: Corsicana is 4-5, 2-4 in District 16-4A. Cleburne is 3-6, 0-6 in 16-4A.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Corsicana: QB Andey Means, WR Jonathon Neal, DE Arsenio Cole, RB/LB Cody Evans, LB Ike Hunter. Cleburne: QB Ty Taylor, RB Cody Hicks, WR Semaj Holderness, WR Bubba Oakes, LB Jose Martinez.

FAST FACT: The Tigers need a miracle to get into the playoffs. First, they have to beat Cleburne. Then they need Midlothian to defeat Waco by 18 points or more. Then the Tigers need to win a three-way flip vs. Midlothian and Waco.

UPDATE: The Tigers have lost three consecutive games, all to playoff teams Ennis and Waxahachie and likely playoff team Waco...The Tigers have not closed out either half well this season. They have been outscored 99-61 in the second quarter and 64-42 in the fourth quarter...The Tigers are 1-5 when they’ve trailed at halftime...RB Cody Evans needs 155 yards for a 1,000-yard season...The Tigers have missed six extra points, but are 2-for-3 on two-point conversions...Cleburne QB Ty Taylor completed 11 of 19 passes for 93 yards and a TD last week...RB Cody Hicks was the Jackets’ leading rusher last week with 23 yards on eight carries in a 41-6 loss to Waco University...By the end of last week’s game, Cleburne was down to five healthy offensive linemen. The Jackets also lost LB Jose Martinez to apparent leg injury.