After a 2-5 start, including a 1-3 mark in Region 5-3A, the Southeast Lauderdale Tigers were in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in three years.
The never-say-die Tigers, who were outscored by 13 points in the regular season, picked up back-to-back wins over Raleigh and Choctaw Central to clinch a spot in the postseason for only the fourth time in school history.
"I'm proud of the way our seniors stepped up those last two games to get us into the playoffs," said SEL coach Ty Trahan. "They're going to the playoffs for the third straight year, so they're no stranger to the postseason."
The Tigers draw a tough first-round opponent in the No. 2 team in the Class 3A and the defending south state champion ... Franklin County. Making things tougher will be playing the game in Meadville, where FC has only lost twice in the last three years.
The 9-1 Bulldogs only loss — a 13-7 setback — came to No. 1 Tylertown. Trahan knows that advancing to the second round won't be easy.
"We feel like there are some things we can do, but it's going to take a great effort," he said.
The key offensively for Southeast will be to execute in the passing game as well as continue to be strong on the ground. Leading the rushing game will be James White, who reached the 1,300-yard plateau and scored a dozen touchdowns for the Tigers.
"We feel like we'll be able to run downhill on them," Trahan said. "They've got a good nose tackle, so we have to make our blocks. We feel like we can run powers on them.
"Our line has blocked well this year, we just haven't made enough plays out of our receivers."
Trahan will look to those receivers Friday night as the Tigers will try to exploit the few cracks that exist in the Bulldog defense that has only allowed 100 points this year.
"We're going to hopefully give them something they haven't seen," Trahan said. "They have some holes in their coverage. We're going to try to attack those holes and get the ball to our receivers."
Defensively Southeast — led by Dominique Adams' 130 tackles — will have to contend with Auburn commit Jamie Collins. The quarterback — who will likely play defense in college — is a threat both throwing and running the ball.
"Our number one key Friday is to stop Collins," Trahan said. "He's a good player.
"They like to run out of the gun quite a bit. Really this is a running team, they like to mix in a little option."
Southeast ended the regular season with a bye week, something which Trahan hopes will have helped the Tigers once they take the field Friday night.
"It helps a lot having the bye week at the end of the season," Trahan said. "The only thing is that we didn't know who our opponent was going to be. It helped us get healthy, though."
While the Tigers are making their third straight trip to the postseason, Franklin County is hoping for its third straight trip to Jackson. The Bulldogs won the Class 3A state championship in 2006 and lost to Louisville in the title game last year.
"We have to play our game," Trahan said. "We have to play good defense and not let the whole mystique of Franklin County affect us. They put their pants on one leg at a time, just like us."
Sports
Tigers face tough road test
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Clarkdale serves notice in rout of Enterprise
The Clarkdale girls’ basketball team served notice that it belonged among the top teams in MHSAA Class 2A with a 59-56 division win at defending 2A state champion Scott Central on January 31.
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Northeast Lauderdale stuns, upsets Northeast Jones in opening round.
Shaquanta McDonald and Tarmecia Mack each scored 10 points as The Trojans beat the Tigers 42-28 in the opening round of the District 5-4A District Tournament held at West Lauderdale Tuesday. Brittany Williams added nine points for Northeast Lauderdale (5-21).
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Season Ender
The defense was there, but the offense never came around and Meridian High saw its playoff hopes disappear as Oak Grove pulled away in the final minutes to knock off the host Wildcats 58-48 on Tuesday night in the Region 5-6A Tournament.
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Kemper County wins thriller over Heidelberg
In a division with traditional powerhouses Choctaw Central, Southeast Lauderdale and Newton – the fourth-and-fifth-seeded Kemper County and Heidelberg girls both were hoping to just punch their ticket to the Class 3A state playoffs and hope to hit a hot streak.
Part one of that equation was successful for Kemper County Tuesday night, but it was far from easy. -
New-look Lions set to open 2012 softball season
Coming off the most successful season of fast-pitch softball competition in the program’s history, the East Mississippi Community College Lions are set to open their 2012 softball campaign by playing host to Marion Military Institute Tuesday afternoon on the Scooba campus. First pitch for the season-opening doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.
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Yellowjackets survive Hornets, keep season alive
Rarely does a team commit 46 turnovers and not get run out of the gym, but the Union girls overcame their ballhandling woes to knock off Lake 41-38 in overtime of the MHSAA Division 6-2A Tournament Monday night.
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Roundup — MCC baseball splits pair at tourney
The Meridian Community College Eagles salvaged a split of its final games in the 2012 T.J. Fleming Invitational at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College on Sunday. -
Crusaders use experience, speed to topple Tornadoes
Philadelphia and Sacred Heart both entered Friday's Class 1A/2A/3A soccer state championship game looking for their first state crown.
The Crusaders, though, had finished as runners-up the previous two seasons, and used that experience and their speed to their advantage as they scored three first half goals in route to a 3-1 win. -
Roundup — West girls rally past Louisville
The West Lauderdale girls basketball team overcame an early deficit to top visiting Louisville 60-56 to close out the regular season Friday.
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Dreams Dashed
A real life David vs. Goliath meeting took place in the Class 1A/2A/3A girls state championship soccer game Friday afternoon at Clinton High School's Arrow Field.
Having never advanced farther than the second round of the MSHSAA soccer playoffs, Clarkdale entered looking to shock the state and win its first state title. In th way stood Our Lady Academy, a nine-time state champion from Bay St. Louis.
The Crescents blanked the Bulldogs 5-0 for their third straight title and 10th since 2000. - More Sports Headlines
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