Ethel traveled to Greenwood Friday night to face Leflore County, which posted a the 52-0 win in the all-Tiger Region 3-1A contest.
“Leflore is a top team in 1A, top team in our division and, they are a good football team,” said Ethel coach Dave McCrory. “They are a playoff team and have the tools to win a state championship. We did recover a fumble by ninth grader Landon Zalace and played together as a team.”
Mike Miller had 43 yards on eight carries to lead the Ethel rushing attack. Anton Clark added 14 yards on five carries, Kyle Nabors had 24 yards on 10 carries and Kentrell Dotson had 12 yards on four carries.
Ethel (0-11, 0-7) will host Shaw on Friday night in the season finale. Shaw, with a win and some help, would get into the playoffs.
“Shaw is a good football team and has a shot to get in,” McCory said. “It’s senior night and we have three seniors that deserve to have a packed stadium. I hope that our parents and supporters continue to support our young men. It has been a challenging season and things will improve,” McCrory said. “We are excited to start our off season lifting and the players and coaches at Ethel will bust our tails to make sure that we have as a productive offseason as ever. Our kids know that in order for us to be successful next year we have to work this offseason.
“As soon as the season ends the new one begins, and our players have invested so much time into this program for us not to get better,” McCory said. “I’m so proud and lucky to be the coach of such a tough group of young men that have had to fight through so much adversity. I told them at halftime, ‘I know who my dogs are because of all the hard times you have gone through; once we turn this around, it’s going to be worth going through this.’ The history of Ethel football is 210-415-12. The kids have bought into the fact that becoming a successful program doesn’t happen overnight and that the same old, same old is not acceptable if we truly want to change our fortunes in football. It takes dedication from not only the coaches and players but from every facet of the school district from top to bottom.
“I want to thank the parents that have stood by our players and thank the assistant coaches that have worked hard this season. Ethel truly is a special place full of special people and great young men that have worked hard since August 5th. Friday football comes to an end for three great young men — Kameron Blakely, Lanarkes Davis and Hunter Hood. I ask everyone that is associated with Ethel to come out and send them off the right way.”
