WRHS comes home to face Garrison

By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

The Raiders, who play in one of the toughest Class 2A districts in the state, will try to get back on track and to get their first District 19-2A win this Friday at home against Garrison. Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m. at Raider Stadium.

West Rusk went 2-1 in its first three games this season, but then ran into a buzzsaw at home against Waskom on Sept. 29, and after being staggered, the Raiders have been battling uphill ever since. They lost at Timpson Oct. 6 and on the road at Troup, 36-7, last week.

The Raiders allowed a couple of early touchdowns to Troup, then scored in the second quarter, a 3- yard pass from Matt Morton to Cody Hudson. But that would be the only score of the night for coach Mike Bolling's West Rusk squad. The Troup Tigers even managed to keep the Morton-to- Rhett-Kind connection out of the end zone, and led 29-7 at the half. WR did hold Troup to just one second-half touchdown.

Things haven't been that much different for coach Richie Pinckard's Garrison Bulldogs. Garrison is 1-4 on the season, having beaten West Sabine, 55- 28, in the second game, but now on a three-game losing streak (a horrible 61-18 loss to Tatum, a 44-27 loss to Elysian Fields and a 46-12 loss to Timpson last week, all 19-2A games).

Garrison might have had another win, but a game against Logansport, La., scheduled for the second week of the season, was canceled.

The Bulldogs bring back four starters on offense and four on defense from a team that won 10 games last year (went 10-4).

If the Raiders could somehow pull out this win at home over Garrison, it could be a motivation factor before having to travel to Tatum, the defending UIL Class 3A Division II state champions, on Oct. 27.

The Raiders still have playoff hopes, if they could win out. The schedule doesn't appear to be in their favor, with trips to Tatum and to Elysian Fields (Nov. 10) in front of them, and a home game against Arp in the middle (Nov. 3). But a third-place district finish is a postseason qualifier.