Tigers Fall Short To Red Raiders 20-14

Now this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky...and the wolf that shall keep it will prosper, and the wolf that shall break it must die!! 

Anyone associated with the Randleman Tiger Nation understands how emotional of a mantra this Kipling quote is as well as how true to form the team takes it. When you enter the “Triad Death Valley”, aka Gregory Stadium, regardless of the records both teams bring in you are going to have to bite, claw and scratch your way to a win. The Andrews Red Raiders found that out on Friday night in perfect chilly football weather.

As the Tigers took their first drive of the game, they pinned their ears back and drove the ball right down the field with the passion and brute strength that they display from time to time. RB T.J. Simmons  took the ball from QB Kyle Farlow and tried the left side and came up big when he picked up a nice gain and the team was playing together, and in sync. After taking some direction from Head Coach Shane Handy the offense broke huddle, handed the ball to Simmons and he shot thru the open hole produced by his offensive line for an additional 16 yard pick up. Using Simmons in many different forms breeds so much success for the Tigers and also keeps drives going. With that said, Simmons was split out to the left and fed the ball again and the kid didn’t fail to please as he carried the ball down to the 1 yard line on the reception in the flats. Ready to punch the ball in and not waste any time Randleman QB Farlow put his head down and followed his line directly into the end zone for the first score of the night. Although the extra point was missed the drive still electrified the standing room only crowd and had the stands rocking.

Andrews took the field and looked as confident a bunch as you will ever see. Even with that confidence the Red Raiders were held in check by the Tigers defense and wound up facing fourth down. Although it was a long line to gain the Red Raiders attempted the conversion anyway and were able to convert on a very lucky pass to midfield. Perturbed by the conversion but never deterred the Tigers defense still hung on strong enough to force a third down and long. With luck on their side, the Andrews offense stepped to the line and their young QB launched a bomb downfield that was caught to the parse followers delight on the visitor side of the field. With that play it seemed that the Tigers got a little beside  themselves and let their guard down and were subsequently called for a huge penalty for Roughing the Passer on a very questionable call. Gaining momentum Andrews then scored from the 20 yard line to answer the Tiger score and take the lead 7-6.

After the kickoff Randleman started a promising drive that covered the remainder of the first quarter and placed the Tigers in a 4th down situation to start the second quarter. Facing 4th and 8 the Tigers took the field and felt confident that they could convert the 4th down but that feeling didn’t equate to the actions on the field as Farlow dropped back, and under pressure from the Red Raider defense, tossed up a prayer that was intercepted on the play.

Even with the turnovers the Randleman defense still kept their wits about them and didn't allow any cheap gains or scores. Andrews was finally able to find some working room when they constructed a productive drive that finished when they scored from the 25 yard line on the WR screen with 1:08 remaining before the half to add to their lead, 14-6

At the half Defensive Coach Marty Collinson reiterated to his players “we are in a free fall fight fellas.....we have got to play hard and finish!” Coach Handy agreed and shouted to his troops “we have to play smart football!” Now the squad that Coach Handy and his staff has are an intelligent group of kids with a very high football IQ and the adjustments that the coaching staff implements at the half usually are such that they are noticed as soon as the second half starts.

On this evening again, the same held true as Andrews stomped out onto the field to start the half and were promptly held to three and out on their first drive as the Tiger D came up big just as they had been coached up at the half. Receiving the ball back, the Tigers took over at the 15 and in a short succinct drive the offense capped it off when FB Justin Freeman scored from 8 yards out followed with a successful 2 point conversion to tie the score at 14-14 at the 7:38 mark of the third quarter. After attempting to put points on the board and go on top of the Red Raiders, the Tigers on 4th down attempt to draw closer with a field goal. But, on a breakdown from the outside Andrews broke thru the line and blocked the field goal try so the score remained tied at 14-14 until late in the quarter when Andrews scored the go-ahead touch down late in the third for the winning score 20-14.

The Tigers played a hard game and didn't give up until the last drive that was stopped just of a conversion that would have kept the drive alive at the fifteen yard line. Still playing hard, just like they are coached, the Tigers were still able to produce turnovers late in the game when Jeremy Taylor and T.J. Simmons did the honors picking off deep passes. When asked about the loss Coach Handy stated “we have to do our job on every play and believe in ourselves! ” 

Andrews simply played well enough to sneak out of Charles R. Gregory stadium with a win and thats all. They didn't come in and dominate and surely didn't have a chance to flex and get out into space and show their speed as the Tigers stayed in their pockets all night long. The Tigers (4-5) go next to Wheatmore on Friday while Andrews (6-3) will face Carver. Playing together as a pack...a family...a team will continue to rebuild a great program in Randleman. The kids just simply need to continue to repeat their mantra and remember....for the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.

Feel free to contact ZMII @zmorganII@gmail.com and twitter @ zmorganII

RANDLEMAN-23 PROVIDENCE 6

Football in many places is just a Friday night when the schools best athletes go out and enable the townsfolk to get away from their week of work, meet with old pals and get their fill of booster hotdogs and hot chocolate. That would be true in many places unless you are a football fan in Texas or a fan of one of the most storied histories of high school football in the great state of NC, the Randleman Tigers. The latest installment of that history was written this past Friday night as Head Coach Shane Handy and his Tigers welcomed the Providence Patriots to Charles R. Gregory Field.

With a partisan crowd chomping at the bit, the Tiger offense sputtered for most of the first quarter. Frustrated but still focused, they were able to finally put one score on the board in the first quarter and take the lead 7-0. The offensive unit seemed to fight up and down the field but as soon as they completed a positive play they were called for a silly penalty that would bring the ball back and add more yardage to the down. It seemed late in the first quarter that they may have found a remedy to this ill as the offense started to move down the field late and put together pretty solid drive. But as they had in the first, the Tigers fell victim to the same problems in the beginning of the second quarter. Squandering two early opportunities and having to kick the ball away made for a long quarter and a half. 

As the second quarter hit it's midpoint the Tiger offense was able to stay on the field and put the penalties behind them. The offense started a drive that looked to be threatened on 3rd and long until the sure hands of WR Chase Causey was able to bring in a deep offering from sophomore QB Kyle Farlow. With a 1st down the Tigers were in business and started to go to there workhorse RB T.J. Simmons. The run game wasn't in its best form but the Tigers kept pounding the ball hoping to finally break thru the Patriot defense and hit pay-dirt but the drive stalled and the ball was kicked away yet again. The Patriots offense attempted many different formations and plays to try and gain yardage but to no avail and eventually they would fumble the ball late in the quarter  and the Tiger defense would recover and in the process knock the Patriot starting QB out of the game. Running their 2 minute offense the Tigers were able to put together a drive that was capped with a touchdown by another deep throw by Farlow that was caught and taken to the house with 31.6 remaining in the 1st half to build the score to 14-0.  

At the half the Tigers were very loose in the locker room as each position coach continued to teach their young players and make adjustments to a half that could have been much more flawless if not for the useless penalties. The start of the 2nd half would prove that the teaching paid off as the defense held the Patriots to a quick three and out and was able to get the ball back. But as had been the earlier part of the evening, the Tiger offense continued to sputter and subsequently turned the ball over when Farlows first pass of the 2nd half was intercepted by the defense. Providence was finally able to remove the goose-egg from the scoreboard as Keyshawn Purvis punched it in from the 4 yard line for the score to close the Tiger lead to 14-6, after the missed PAT with 7:50 to go in the 3rd. 

After being bottled up for most of the 1st half Tiger RB Simmons kept at it and finally was able to see the benefits of his hard work. Simmons and the Tiger offense received the ball back after another great stop by their defense and went to work. Coach Handy implored his offense to take their time and run their offense the way that they knew how, pleading to them "I don't care how THEY run the ball or how THEIR QB throws the ball!!" and his team took that to heart. Banging Simmons off the left and right sides as they drove downfield finally paid off as the young back put his head down and gave a quick Payton-like juke and found himself in the end zone 30 yards later for a 20-6 Tiger lead with 1:39 left before the end of the quarter. The fourth quarter produced the same with both teams exchanging possessions in the 4th quarter time after time with the Tiger defense holding firm, not allowing any further scores and in the midst recovering an additional fumble before it was all said and done. A FG by the Tiger offense at the 7:36 mark would close out the scoring for the night and cap a very solid defensive gem.

Randleman improved their record to 3-1 and will face the SW Randolph Cougars (3-1) at their house  on Friday September 17, 2010. The game figures to be a great defensive battle as both teams boast defenses that have held their opponents to an average of 13 pts. per game. Turnovers will be key and the team that  holds onto the ball will come out on top. Coach Handy preaches ball security to his team so they know how precious a commodity recovering turnovers are compared with turning it over. The Tigers have a defensive team that has an attitude of "them against the world" and it makes them a very angry bunch on the field! That attitude will be put to the test on Friday night as they suit up the "mystique" of Randleman football and take to the filed for yet another battle of pride! Game time is set at 7:30 p.m.