Last Friday night’s face-off with third-ranked Jackson High School was a sign of things to come for Greenville High School in terms of what it takes to compete at a high level.

And though the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, with it came a worthwhile opportunity for the Tigers to evaluate themselves.

“The experience was valuable just because we had some guys that had never been in an environment like that,” said Greenville head coach Earnest Hill. “We played against a very good football team, and it kind of woke us up.  It showed the players and the coaches that we’ve got a lot of coaching to do to get the kids where they need to be.”

By comparison, Friday’s opponent Citronelle High School is 1-2 on the season has yet to win a region game.

Hill said that it ultimately doesn’t matter how good Citronelle is.

The first hurdle for the Tigers to overcome lies within.

“We game planned for (Citronelle) Sunday, and basically we’re just working on ourselves right now,” Hill said. “We just want to be more aggressive and follow through with our assignments. If we can continue to get better, we should be fine.”

Greenville’s usual production was nowhere to be found in Friday’s battle with Jackson, thanks in part to an offense that struggled to convert in third down situations and a few costly turnovers.

However, Hill’s biggest priority lies in overcoming the commotion of homecoming, perhaps just as much as ironing out last week’s mistakes.

Though it is a time for celebration among students, Hill said that it can be just as much of a detriment as it is a benefit.

“It’s actually a big distraction, just because it’s a time for kids to have a lot of fun,” Hill said. “We’ve been talking about the game because we lost homecoming last year, and it was a big deal for us. We’re just trying to stay focused, work on ourselves and get better.”

Greenville’s chance at homecoming redemption begins at 7 p.m. at Tiger Stadium.