One squad wins big, while the other still showing a lot of heart

The past week has come and gone with another week of the high school football season in the books. While having plenty to say about the Dyersburg-Milan contest on Friday night, first things first.

Earlier in the week, a large turnout witnessed what has to be one of the best volleyball matches seen in some time at DHS between the Lady Trojans and Lady Cavaliers.

The District 13-AA title game was just as exciting as perhaps any football game attended this season. Five sets for the championship hardware, and yes, the better team won.

Often in postseason tournaments the best squad doesn't always win the prize, and to be honest, when Dyersburg fell behind two sets to one I thought Thursday might be one of those days.

What transpired in the fourth and fifth sets was remarkable and showed what can happen when a team really wants something. With a vocal crowd urging them on, the Lady Trojans rebounded, rallied and were all smiles after earning the title with a 15-10 win in the fifth and deciding set.

Winning the district crown in back-to-back seasons is a solid achievement, but now business is about to pick up as the region tourney looms ahead. On Tuesday the local squad hosts the event at DHS. Yes, the squad that refuses to lose on their home floor will get the chance to prove just how special they are.

The opponent will be South Side, a squad the Lady Trojans have played well against twice this season despite falling in both contests to the Lady Hawks.

What will be the difference this time around? The home-court advantage will play a big factor, not to mention a large contingent of fans ready to rally the team to victory.

Though the team has earned the right to be where they are, now the time has come to take the next step and keep the season alive with at least one win on Tuesday. Stay focused, communicate and go out and get it done, girls.

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After feeling so disappointed after watching the football Trojans fall to Obion County a week ago, the decision was made to stay off the sidelines this week at Milan and try to enjoy the game from a fan perspective.

Prior to exiting Hale Stadium, I was already thinking about the words to be used in this week's column. Sitting in the stands I realized there is far more to be seen than when on the sidelines.

Make no mistake about it, the game was far closer than the 35-7 score indicates, but Milan was a bit better, at least on Friday.

What was seen, despite the loss, was a Trojan team focused and playing with heart, lots of heart to be exact. All week long the mind wondered which team would show up against the Bulldogs, and what was seen, at least through these eyes, was a team still fighting and playing to be the best they can be.

With two left in the regular season, there is plenty to play for, fellas. Many have asked about the playoffs and what chance does Dyersburg have of getting in. Simply win the next two games. More importantly, the final game against Haywood County is a must for any postseason hopes to materialize.

Though it takes more than heart to win football games, it's funny how even I was ready for the season to end after the Obion County game, but today I feel energized and ready for at least three or four more games.

See you on the sideline.

Your comments are welcome at msmith@ stategazette.com.