BLUE DEVILS FLIP SCRIPT

Jackson Co. 28, Smith Co. 14

By Terry Collins Courier Sports

GAINESBORO — The Smith County High Owls football team traveled to Gainesboro for their first Region 4-2A game last Friday night. 

The Blue Devils had lost 18 straight games to the Owls dating back 31 years to 1995 when Jackson County won 28-26.

The Blue Devils used a strong second half by outscoring Smith Co. 21-0 to post a 28-14 victory and improve to 5-0. 

The Owls lost their third straight game to fall to 1-4 overall. 

“We are still gaining valuable game experience as a young and inexperienced football,” said Smith County head football coach Matt Dyer. “We are still learning each week what kind of football team we are. There is plenty we need to do better as a team all we can do is learn from our mistakes and choose to get better or stay the same. That’s growth, development and maturity. Understand what our responsibilities are and have the discipline to do what is needed each and every week.”

The Black-and-Gold have been outscored 56-0 in the second half of the last three games which have led to three straight setbacks.

“Our first possession of the second half — we fumbled, and we punted on our second possession and didn’t get the ball again until the last three or so minutes in the game,” said Dyer. “We couldn’t get off the field on defense. I think they had two seven minute drives and just kept the ball away from us most of the second half. 

Dyer continued, “We couldn’t get off the field on third down. We need to do a better job of putting together a full four quarter game, not just a first half or three quarters but a whole game. We are playing hard but we are just making too many mistakes — missed tackles, missed blocks, lining up wrong, turnovers and wrong routes. We have to control what we can control, quit letting outside forces that we have no control over affect us and break us. There is still a lot of football left to play, more chances to compete and opportunities to grow and get better. We’ll put Jackson Co. behind us, learn from our mistakes and get better. Our sights are set on Trousdale Co. now, so that’s who we need to prepare for.”

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