(This interview was recorded remotely on Wednesday, Sept. 20, with Coach Jamie Driskell. We talk about things in the interview that aren't in the story, so please listen.)
By Michael V. Hannigan
And now comes district.
The 4-0 Malakoff Tigers move into the next phase of their season Friday night when they travel to Kemp to open District 8-3A play against the 1-3 Yellowjackets.
The Tigers rolled through their non-district schedule fairly easily, scoring over 50 points in three of the four games and holding opponents to just seven points in the last eight quarters.
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That doesn't mean there aren't things to fix, according to Coach Jamie Driskell.
"We're playing hard, but we're still making some mistakes," he said. "Eventually, if you get into the playoffs and start meeting these better teams, you're going to have to clean those things up."
So that's what the Tigers have been working on in practice, something that is helped along by leaders like Mike Jones, Chauncey Hogg, Josh Garcia, Mason Logan, and Judd McNaughton.
Jones is having a great season so far, completing 73 percent of his passes and throwing for eight touchdowns with no interceptions.
"He's had a good year so far," said Coach Driskell. "We've got to keep him healthy, and we've got to keep getting better. We're going to keep adding things and do things that exploit the defenses we're facing."
The next defense is the Kemp Yellowjackets, who pitched a shutout in their last outing, beating Rice 28-0.
"They're very aggressive on defense and going to bring a lot of pressure and a lot of heat," said Coach Driskell.
Offensively, Coach Driskell said Kemp's sophomore quarterback Hutson Cromer has been playing well. He has thrown for five touchdowns and three interceptions so far in 2023.
"He does a really good job for them," she said, "and Coach Rider does a good job with those kids."
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday night.
