What a Story This Could Be
- Sep 24, 2015
- 3 min read
It's not going to be easy...but it can be done.
If they didn't before, the Carterville Lions have their peverbial backs to the peverible wall now after a heartbreaking 30-29 loss last week to DuQuoin (You can listen to the game audio from Jim Cislaghi and myself right here from our Newsradio WJPF broadcast). This was the Mississippi River division of the River-To-River conference opener for both team. Both teams came in with a 1-2 record from their non-conference schedules and both were in desperate need of a win to start off the conference season. But penalties in critical situations killed drives that could and should have led to scoring chances OR were defensive penalties that kept DuQuoin drives going. The most glaring of these drive killer's was in the overtime period.
The Lions had scored on their first series in overtime and had taken a 29-22 lead. DuQuoin got the ball at the 10 yard line and Zayne Fornear scored on the first play to get within 1. Before the ball could be snapped on the Indians two point conversion try, the Lions were called for having too many men on the field. This put the ball at the 1 1/2 yard line. The Indians scored the game winner on Fornear's conversion. Indians 30, Lions 29.
So now we look ahead to this weeks game...on the road at AJ. It's not going to get any easier the rest of the way. This division is killer with Nashville 4-0, Sparta 4-0, Pinckneyville 3-1 (their only loss coming agaisnt Sparta last week). AJ comes in to this week at 2-2 for the year.
In my post game chat with Coach Drust, I said to Coach the Lions had to win out in order to make the playoffs and I got the answer I knew he would give and that is "we have to take them one game at a time." Although it would take winning all of the remaining games to make the playoffs, the Lions have to take the remaining schedule "one game at a time".
Make no mistake about this 2015 edition of the Lions, but for a couple of exceptions, they came into this season as a very inexperienced team, primarility on the offensive/defensive lines. But now they have 4 games under their belt. This Carterville Lions team is completely capable of getting hot and making a fantastic run to the playoffs. They are a very talented team at the specialty positions and a team that has a winning tradition like no other in Southern Illinois.
It all starts with the Anna-Jonesboro game this Friday night. The Lions will need to play very well to beat a strong Wildcat team, especially on their turf in "The Pit". But it can be done, and who knows? It could springboard this team and help carry them through the rest of the season...and that's exactly what needs to happen.
And who knows, maybe this could lead to one of the best Carterville Lions football saga's ever told! Yeah...it could happen.
Don't forget you can listen to the game starting with the pre-game with myself and Jim Cislaghi at 6:45 pm and kickoff will be at 7 pm. You can also listen online at www.wjpf.com
"LET"S GO LIONS"
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