It’s back to school time, which means Tiger Football is back! All last week, the school was buzzing about the first football game.

Head Coach Jason Karnes said before the game Friday that “this team has the potential to win conference, make the playoffs, and maybe even win state.” When Coach Karnes was asked about the keys to victory this season, he said “we have to stay humbled and healthy. We need to communicate on the sidelines, and we need to feel blessed to have this opportunity.” Finally, we asked Karnes about how excited he is for the new season, and he said “I’m more excited than I have been in years. This team has so much potential on it.”

When Friday night came, the Tigers were ready, many of them showing up three hours before the game!  When the entrance was made, the rituals were done, and the starters announced, it was time for some Tiger football.

The first half seemed rough for the tigers, scoring only three points against the Waterloo defense, while Waterloo had scored seven. The Tigers had fumbled the ball three plays in a row at one point, which was very surprising to the team.

But after halftime, the Tigers shut the Bulldogs out, scoring twenty points, and keeping Waterloo out of the endzone the rest of the game. The run game had a lot to do with this victory for the Tigers. Senior Jackson Yates carried the ball seventeen times, rushing for 156 yards, and scoring a touchdown.

The Tiger defense was very impressive as well, managing to intercept the Bulldogs passes twice in the second half, one interception coming from Senior Tate Johnson, and another from Junior Reice Hartline. After the game, Tigers Left Tackle,  Ricky Branch was interviewed. He said he was “feeling good after that win. I wish we could’ve started a little better, but it’s a good thing we pulled through in the second half, and we worked together as a team and a family.”

Teamwork seems to be the big thing around here, as Tate Johnson said something similar. “After half, we all had to get together and get everyone online, and get better in the second half”, Johnson said when asked about the win.

Both of these guys were also asked how it felt playing their last season her at Herrin High School.  “It’s bittersweet,” says Branch, “really sad. I don’t wanna see it go, but I wouldn’t want to spend my senior year doing anything besides playing football, I love it.”

And so another football season begins. The final score of Friday night’s game was 23-3, in favor of the Tigers. We will see you all this Friday for the big rivalry game against Carterville. Until next week, Stay Fly Herrin High.