By Tom Waddill
Huntsville football coach Mitchell Coey remembers well the sting that came with last fall’s 34-6 loss to Caney Creek. Playing for a chance to advance to the Class 4A state playoffs for the first time since 2000, the Panthers pounded the Hornets and punched their own ticket to the postseason.
Turnabout is fair play, Coey told his team Thursday.
Huntsville won’t be playing for a spot in the postseason tonight when the Panthers come to Bowers Stadium. That went out the window following a loss to Livingston two weeks ago.
But the Hornets sure can spoil Caney Creek’s playoff plans.
“This time last year we had an opportunity to be in the playoffs and they knocked us out. Now we have a chance to knock them out,” Coey said of the Panthers, who are 2-2 in District 18-4A. “That’s the way I want our guys to approach this game.”
The Panthers must win their final two games — against Huntsville and Brenham — and get some help from Montgomery, which needs to beat Livingston tonight to keep the Panthers’ postseason hopes alive. A loss to the Hornets, or a win by Livingston, would end Caney Creek’s playoff chances.
“I told the guys misery loves company and we’re miserable because we’re not going to the playoffs,” Coey said. “We need some company.
“Mathematically, Caney Creek is still in it. It’s a long shot, but they’ve got a shot. They’re going to come to Bowers Stadium thinking this is a playoff game. So we need to be prepared for a tough game.”
Caney Creek (5-3 overall) has had its ups and downs in 2007. The Panthers have beaten both Montgomery and Willis, but they lost to Waller and Livingston, two teams which are sitting pretty in second and third place in 18-4A currently.
The Panthers have the district’s leading rushers in tailback Terrance Griffin (940 yards on 141 carries) and quarterback Joe Simmons (928 yards on 131 carries). Simmons has also thrown for 681 yards and five touchdowns, but his feet are what concerns Coey and the Hornets the most.
“Their quarterback is the 100-meter district track champion. He can fly,” the coach said. “And (Griffin), he can run, too. They like to run the football and they run it well. If we let those two cats get loose, it could be a long night for the Hornets.
“We’ve got to duplicate our game plan from last week. If we take care of the ball like we did last week, we’ll be all right.”
The Hornets would like to finish the 2007 season on a winning note. After dropping its first four district games, Huntsville blanked Willis last week 27-0. Beating Caney Creek would put a sweet cap on what has been a sour season.
“A win would propel us into next year,” Coey said. “For our seniors, this is the last time they’re going to suit up in the green and white. It’s a pride thing. I told them to play with pride and play with a mission in mind to win the ballgame.”
