The Ethel Tigers gave up 50 points for the fourth straight game last week against West Lowndes.
And for the fourth straight week, the Tigers took a loss as they fell 58-26 to the Panthers.
Ethel falls to 4-5 on the season and has lost four straight games, all in division play and now sit at 1-4 and are eliminated from the playoffs with just two games remaining.
Ethel coach Adam Smith said his team ran into another solid offense this week that his defense had trouble stopping.
“West Lowndes is solid across the board and really good up front,” Smith said. “They have good backs and some speed but we are dealing with the same things on defense. Both of our inside linebackers are sophomores and they are just really young. But I give my kids credit, they didn’t quit and played to the final whistle. I will say that some of those younger kids are starting to take some leadership roles and step up and that’s a positive thing. I think the future is bright but we are taking our lumps right now with these young kids on defense."
In the first quarter, the Tigers went to the air as Jones hit Noah Hill on a 23-yard touchdown pass.
In the second, the Tigers went to the air again as Jones hit Estes on a 54-yard touchdown pass.
The Tigers added a second score in the second quarter as Jones scored on a 5-yard run. Anton Clark scored the two-point attempts and the Tigers trailed 46-20 at the half.
In the fourth, Ethel scored its last points on a 2-yard run by Cameron Farmer for its last points to trail 58-26 for the final margin.
“The offense didn’t score as much as they have been but we got a few in the end zone,” Smith said. “We have moved the football on everybody we have played. I thought West Lowndes was one of the best teams we have played in the region, no doubt about that. We are ninth and 10th grade heavy and taking some lumps on defense. You hat it for the older guys but it can’t be helped. Hopefully, this will pay off for those younger guys who are getting reps and help us out in the future. It’s just tough while you are going through it.”
Clark had 133 yards rushing on 19 carries to lead the Ethel offense. Jones had 92 yards on 27 carries with one TD. Jones was also 5-of-9 passing for 96 yards and two TDs and one interception.
This week’s game
The Tigers will hit the road this week as they head to sweet potato country to take on the Rams of Vardaman.
The Rams are 7-2 on the season and coming off a tight 37-34 loss to Hamilton. Their other loss was to East Webster (31-21) and they have wins over Myrtle (42-0), Bruce (42-14), Coffeeville (42-20), Noxapater (28-21), Sebastopol (27-6), Leake County (49-22) and French Camp (14-10).
“It’s going to be another tough one,” Smith said. “They lost a close one to Hamilton last week. They are solid and well coached. We went to the wire with them last year and pulled away at the end. On film, they don’t look like world beaters but they do their job and capitalize on your mistakes.”
