Story by Rusty Ellis
The Cookeville Cavaliers suffered their third consecutive defeat when they fell to Warren County 21-14 in week five.
It continued a trend that saw the Cavaliers fail to get out of their own way on a few plays that end up being the difference in the game. Two late turnovers in the first half turned a 7-0 Cookeville lead into a 13-7 lead in favor of the Pioneers.
“We gave them two easy ones, and you can’t do that against a team as good as or better than you,” said CHS head coach Jimmy Maynord. “In the second half, we get the ball with a chance to take the lead. We get a drive going and then on 3rd-and-2, we get a holding penalty to make it 3rd-and-12. We fail to convert, and then we only get the ball back one more time (in the game).”
It’s a familiar story for Maynord this season, as it was similar to the Cavaliers’ loss to Lebanon where only a couple plays proved to be the difference in the game. The turnovers proved to be too much once again, and against a team that prides itself on ball control, 10 Cookeville snaps in the second half was a testament to how Warren County controlled time of possession.
For Maynord, he says all there is to do is continue to stress the little things.
“You just keep stressing it and working on ball security,” Maynord said. “You go through that sometimes, and we’re kind of snake-bit right now with those kind of things. I don’t know any kind of way other than to just keep working on it, and hopefully at some point, we’ll start getting some of those breaks.”
A three-game losing streak and 0-2 start in region play is far from ideal, but it’s worth pointing out that the playoffs are still an attainable goal for the Cavaliers. Currently tied with Coffee County for fourth in the region, Maynord is emphasizing that this team is right there in contention.
“As bad as it seems, we’re just a couple plays away from being 2-0 in our region,” Maynord said. “Nobody likes winning more than me, but at the end of the day, it’s a game we play because we love it…you want to go out and play as hard as you can and win the game. Usually, you don’t win football games, you lose football games. Mistakes and turnovers will cost you games.”
This week’s game features the visiting Gallatin Green Wave, as the school’s meet for the first time ever. When Maynord watches this team on film, the first thing he notices is the pure talent on the team.
“They have a lot of athletes, and I think everyone will see that Friday night,” Maynord said. “They’re different. They’re a triple-option team, which we haven’t seen because not many teams are doing that anymore…they have a big fullback and big offensive lineman, as well as a lot of skilled players that can flat run.”
As much talent as the offense has, Maynord is quick to point out the Green Wave’s aggressive defense as well.
“They’re a man-coverage and get-in-your-face defense that blitzes a lot,” Maynord said. “Obviously, they’ve got very good players…you’ll see them on the field and wonder how they’re 1-4. They do have a talented football team with a lot of skill.”
A win for this team could give them the push they need in the second-half of the season, as the playoff race tightens up.
“I think anytime you win, it’s a positive,” Maynord said. “That’s what you go out there and play for…it’d be a boost to our morale and would make things better preparing for next week.”
Gallatin and Cookeville will battle each other on Friday at 7 P.M. in Cookeville. The game will be live-streamed on Upper Cumberland Reporter 3 on Facebook.