|
|
| Tuesday, February 9, 2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
Marketplace
|
|
Sections
|
|
Service Center
|
|
 |
|
‘Old fashioned grudge match’
Published October 30, 2009
Coaches at North Sand Mountain and Pisgah likely won't need motivational speeches to get their teams excited to play tonight.
"When it's Pisgah and North Sand Mountain," said Pisgah coach Terry Kenimer, "it's just an old fashioned grudge match. We don't like them too much when it’s gametime, and the feeling's mutual."
The rivals meet tonight at 7 p.m. at NSM's Lloyd Dobbins Field in Higdon in the teams' regular season finale.
Pisgah (7-2) is bound for the playoffs, likely finishing as the No. 3-seed from Class 3A Region 6 after Sardis, which beat the Eagles 26-10 last week, lost to Vinemont on Thursday. Susan Moore defeated Locust Fork to likely take the No. 1 seed through AHSAA tiebreakers. The Eagles will likely travel to Piedmont in the first round of the 3A playoffs on Nov. 6. Pisgah could have wrapped up the No. 1 seed by beating Sardis last week.
"(Last week) was disappointing, but we can't dwell on it," Kenimer said. "I was really disappointed with our offense. We didn't block well at all. We've got to be more physical."
Meanwhile, NSM (2-7) is coming off of a 28-0 victory over Section a week after being shut out in a loss at Ider.
"Our kids played really well," said NSM coach Tracy Vest. "I was really happy about the way they came back and performed after (the previous week). We had great practices and they rolled it over into the game Friday night."
The contest is the 37th between the schools. Pisgah leads the series 26-10, but the Eagles' needed some late game magic to avoid a losing its third straight to the Bison last season.
Facing a fourth-and-short near midfield midway through the fourth period, Colton Kenimer, the Eagles' lone senior last fall, completed a pass to Zack Peek for a big gain inside the NSM 10-yard line. Jeb Woods later scored and converted the 2-point conversion as Pisgah won 8-6.
Woods' TD broke an 11 quarter scoreless streak that Pisgah had endured against the Bison, who defeated the Eagles 18-0 in 2006 and 31-0 in 2007.
"It's a great rivalry," Vest said. "Pisgah's going to the playoffs and we're playing for pride. But it doesn't matter what the records are, it's always going to be a good football game.
Tonight's game is not the teams' first encounter of the season. Back in August, they scrimmaged for two quarters during a jamboree at Valley Head. NSM won 14-7, but Vest said not a lot can be taken for that.
"That's really different from a game because you're trying to get everybody some playing time and just see where you are as a team," Vest said. "We played with them pretty good, so it might mean some confidence, but again, that's a game that doesn't count."
Kenimer is expecting NSM's best tonight.
"They always play hard, and we know they're going to play even harder against us than they have all year," Kenimer said. "We've got to play just as hard."
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|