Cookeville Football Prepares To Take On Coffee County

File photo by Rajayna Riley

The Cookeville Cavaliers are looking to celebrate Homecoming with a win as they prepare to host the Coffee County Red Raiders on Friday night.

The Cavs (3-2, 0-2) are in need of their first Region 3/6A win of the season and face a test in the Red Raiders (2-2, 1-1) who boast a strong quarterback and good skill players.

“They’re a much-improved football team from a year ago,” said CHS head coach Jimmy Maynord on Coffee County. The Cavs defeated CCHS 41-14 in 2019. “They’ve got good players. They’re 2-2 and coming off a win against Siegel. It’s going to be a good football game.”

“Their quarterback throws the ball well. They’ve got good skill kids. We’ve got a challenge ahead of us. They’re much-improved on defense. They’ve changed their scheme around a little bit.”

Cookeville is coming off a 42-7 loss against number one ranked Oakland in week four. The Cavs sit in a unique position, given they’ve already played perhaps two of their toughest opponents.

They sit in the sixth seed in the region but have faced the top two teams in the region in 2020 (Oakland and Riverdale). A win over the Red Raiders would move the Cavs to, at least, the fifth spot. The top four teams at the end of the season reach the postseason.

“We played two of the best teams in the state and got beat by both of them,” said Maynord. “I think the rest of the way we’re on an even playing field with everybody else and it starts this week.”

The Cavs sat in a familiar position in 2019 as they entered the back-half of the season with an 0-2 region record. They then rattled off four-straight wins to secure their spot in the postseason. With an experienced roster led by seniors across the field on both sides of the ball, the Cavs are poised to make a similar run.

“We were 1-4 at this time last year,” said Maynord. “We finished it out and won four more games. We’re in, kind of, the same situation. Every game is important. We’ve got a situation where we can control our own destiny. Riverdale and Oakland, I think, are the two best teams. Everybody else is going to be competitive. We’re in a situation where we’ve got to play. We can win them all or we can lose them all. That’s where we are.”

Despite the region implications of the game, Maynord made clear his team is focused on improving themselves, not on anything else.

“That’s our focus. It’s not necessarily on who our opponent is, it’s on us,” said Maynord. “That’s what we’ve got to improve on. Our play, our technique, our aggression and the things that we’ve got to do better. That’s the total focus we have. On ourselves, not on our opponent.”

Kickoff in the pivotal matchup between the Cavs and the Red Raiders is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Cookeville.