Stung by their first loss of the season, the Gentry High Rams football team has had little time to mull over it.
For today at 7 p.m., the 3-1 Rams will take on a Clarksdale High Wildcats squad which owns what appears to be a very deceiving 1-3 record.
“Clarksdale has played a pretty tough schedule and they will be a normal Clarksdale team – physical with speed,” said Gentry Head Coach Mario Young.
“Hopefully we’ll rise back up and play our game,” he continued.
Meanwhile, last Friday night on their home field, the Rams suffered their first loss of the season when the now 2-2 Center Hill Mustangs from Olive Branch left town with a 20-8 victory.
“We just did not come out and play with any intensity. We were just flat and hurt ourselves with penalties, especially offside penalties,” said Coach Young.
As for the Clarksdale High Wildcats, last Friday night they fell by a 21-7 margin to now 3-1 South Panola High of Batesville.
Playing a rugged schedule, to date the Wildcats have lost three relatively close contests to three teams which have a combined 10-2 record.
Other losses absorbed by the Clarksdale squad include a 20-17 decision to 3-1 Charleston High while also falling 19-10 to undefeated (4-0) Cleveland Central High School.
The Wildcats’ lone victory occurred three weeks ago with an 18-0 victory over a currently 3-1 Coahoma County High squad.
In addition to wanting to get back into the win column tonight, the Rams also have the motivation to become the first Gentry High football team to defeat Clarksdale since the 1984 season.
Historically, Clarksdale High owns a 19-1 series advantage over the Gentry High football program, a string of victories aided by last year’s 20-14 win over the Rams.
In last Friday’s loss to Center Hill High, the Rams scoring came by way of a Jay Silas two-yard touchdown run.
The Rams also added two points to the scoreboard via a safety due to a bad snap during a Mustangs’ punt attempt.
