The 10th-ranked Monterey Wildcats have enjoyed a strong 2020 football season but are preparing for one of their toughest tests yet against the ninth-ranked Gordonsville Tigers.
The matchup between the Wildcats (7-1, 4-0) and Tigers (6-3, 4-0) is for the Region 4/1A championship.
After a 14-7 overtime win against Clay County on Saturday, MHS head coach Scott Hughes said his team has responded to an unconventional week of preparation.
“It’s been, kind-of, a weird week,” said Hughes. “We had to play Saturday night which has thrown off the routine a little bit. You get used to having Saturday and Sunday off and then you’re back at practice on Monday. We just played a really physical, knock-down drag-out game.”
“Overall, I was pleased with how we responded.”
The Tigers have been strong throughout 2020. They have allowed just 27 points against 1A competition and will be looking for revenge after the Wildcats clinched the 2019 region title in a 28-21 win in Gordonsville.
“The night we played them last year… they were really good,” said Hughes. “This year, they’ve avoided the injury-bug. They were a preseason top-10 football team. They’ve got a bunch of older bodies on the field this year. Any time you can get five or six guys that come in and start at our level, it’s a huge dynamic change. They were blessed to have that fortune and those guys are very talented football players.”
“You mix that with what they already had, and it’s a great combination. It is, probably, a top four or five football team in the state of Tennessee.”
Hughes said his team is excited for the matchup between two top-10 teams to decide a region championship, but still knows they have to improve.
“Our guys are excited,” said Hughes. “They’re excited to compete. We haven’t talked a whole lot about the dynamic of being bigger this week. It’s still a region game. Our guys understand what’s at stake, but our guys are still looking to improve every week because we still haven’t played our best football.”
Many high school football teams will not have the opportunity to compete for a region championship, and some will not play at all Friday night.
“There’s a ton of high school football players across the state of Tennessee who would love to play in a region championship game,” said Hughes. “That’s what we talked about this week. Win or lose, cherish the moment. Take this as a moment and a memory that no one will ever get to take from you.”
Kickoff between the Tigers and Wildcats is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Monterey.