Tigers can shape standings

Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 14, 2004

There are four games left in the regular season.

For most schools the playoff picture has already been taken, good, bad or ugly.

By the seventh week of the season, teams know where they stand.

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For the Greenville High School Tigers, their position is at the bottom looking up.

Stanhope Elmore, Charles Henderson, Wetumpka Booker T. Washington and Eufaula sit atop the regional standings.

While the Tigers aren't going to be able to get into the playoff, they will have the opportunity to help shake-up the playoff picture.

Beginning this weekend, the Tigers go on a tour of the top teams in the region. They travel to Booker T. Washington Friday night.

"You never underestimate a team," said Mark Hurt, coach of the Booker T. Washington Eagles.

"They may be 0-6, but any thing can happen. You have to prepare for a team that has not won a game just like you will a team that's undefeated."

The Tigers will have Russell County at home next week.

Then the Tigers will play host to Charles Henderson in week 10.

The orange and blue Trojans are currently ranked No. 6 in this week's 5A Top 10 poll. But their ranking is in jeopardy Friday night when they travel to Millbrook and face the No. 7 ranked Stanhope Elmore Mustangs.

Wetumpka, who is currently in sole possession of second place in the regional standings, plays Russell County Friday night.

So far this season, Greenville has played only one ranked team, Stanhope Elmore.

The Mustangs, currently No. 7, are still rebounding from the shutout loss to Prattville three weeks ago.

This will be Charles Henderson's second game against a ranked opponent Friday night.

A win over Booker T. Washington Friday night would effectively knock the Eagles out of the playoffs as they lost to Wetumpka last week, leaving the Eagles with two losses.

"I thought they just wanted the game more, we played hard made some mistakes, some big mistakes," said Hurt.

"Not making the big play when we had the opportunity. When you don't make the big plays in the big games nine times out of 10 you aren't going to win. They made the big plays."

"They scored the last touchdown with a minute left in the game, they had the ball and we had no timeouts. They just ran the clock down. We played them tough, we just got away from our game plan."

The Eagles were 4-0 at one point. But they have dropped their last two games in a row to Charles Henderson and then to Wetumpka last Friday. This is also the second home game of the season for BTW.

Kickoff for Friday's game is set for 7 p.m. and will be played in Tuskeegee.