Friday nights’ game against the Alvarado Indians turned into something likened to a basketball matchup, going point for point until the Indians decided to add on another embarrassing touchdown to top off the Tigers’ massacre in a 71-50 slugfest. Honestly, I did not think this game would play out the way it did. Freshman quarterback, Luke Males, is a fighter. He is as tough as nails and didn’t whimper off and quit. Canyon Evans is a great model for Males to follow and one single position I have no doubt about in the near future is QB1. I said it and will say it again. This game allowed us, as a team, to fight back adversity. It allowed us to find a way to battle against the odds and learn how to adapt. As the O Line came marching off the field in a fury of rage, I witnessed the courage of these young men to dig deeper and keep fighting. Not once did I see a single player give up and bow out. Did the refs have some “no calls?” Sure they did, but they are not perfect. We all give a friendly “boo” from time to time, but in all reality, these refs are doing the best they can. From our perspective, we can see the field in a much clearer way than they can. However, they are human, they have a job outside of Friday Night Football, and they reap the fury of football fans every Friday night. Let’s have a little compassion, even when they need glasses! Alvarado is a very good team. By the time district play is over, you will see them knocking some heavy hitters down with that #10. He reminds me of Will Henderson from Gilmer last year who could run like a fat kid with a stolen candy bar. He is going places. Defensively, they need some help, but so do we. Am I going to broadcast to the world that our defense is horrible, NO. We are missing key players and very important roles that are out of the game right now due to injury. We are not a big 4A Div 1 team. We don’t have depth. So, if a couple key players go down, we will struggle. The fact of the matter is, we must simply get healthy and come back together as a full unit. To be honest, I hate to admit that it has been an embarrassing start to the season. No, I am not talking about the players or the games. These guys will play hard, learn, and win. They will not win for you nor for me, but for themselves. I am speaking about the killjoy of a very minority part of the Glen Rose community. Who, for some reason has decided to jump on the bandwagon to let their voices be known. From the Candy Fiasco of the 2024 Homecoming Parade to the wannabe ESPN analyst who find it a necessity to critic our players, our coaches, and the program. I am not speaking for myself. I am speaking on behalf of every player’s parent and the wives of our great coaches. Please change the channel. Fluff your couch pillow and tune into another episode of “Leave it to Beaver.” Move on and leave it to the coaches who know how to coach. One question: Do you know where the coaches were at 11:00 last Friday night? While you were snuggled up to your significant other reminiscing about how well you coached pee wee football, these coaches were watching film. Sunday is a day of reckoning for the Glen Rose Tigers. A new week of rest and readiness for the upcoming district summit. I am sure they are grateful for this bye week. A week for rest, relaxation, and just getting healthy. Just like his elder brother, Keltyn Raymond has summoned the ranks for a parking lot talk. The Seniors of 2025 had a mouthful to say Sunday evening attempting to square this team up toe to toe with the most crucial decision of the 2024 season. Are they the team who can overcome? These are the times that will stand engravened in the minds of this team. Like last year, this team is at a pivotal point. Do they tighten their bootstraps and keep climbing, or do they ring the bell in defeat trekking back down to base camp? The motto this year, “Base to Summit,” is about making the climb no matter how tough it gets. The climb is hardly ever perfect. They’ll stumble, they’ll fall, and they will leave you with a cliffhanger; but they will not give up. If this years’ summit were easy to reach, even the Purple Team would make it. When the final seconds tick this year, I will bet money they’ll be where they wanted to be. I have faith in this group and in this program. I may not like the outcome of every play, every down, every call, or every game, but you can bet your Tiger Stripes that I will support every person within this program. From coaching staff to player, this is where I stand. Glen Rose has your back. Win, lose, tie, or die; we will be there every step of the way. Let’s go to work boys.