So, it has begun folks, round one complete. The anticipation, anxiety, and downright emotional battle between who’s who and what’s what. Who are we? What can we do? How good are we? I cannot say I have never seen a good team drop in the first round. A few years ago, a good Glen Rose team dropped out to Community that should have been an easy win. But here we are fan-club, shaken of the first game jitters and ready to get serious. Theres no more “shaking it off” or “Lets re-group and get better.” It's time to hit the road in overdrive and cut the brake lines. In my line of work, guys notoriously proclaim “Ill rest when I die.” Well strap up boys because we are not resting until we are atop that summit. Thursday, after the embarrassing De-Knighting of Eagle Mountain, I noticed my good friend Ms. Bowman lingering along the wall of Roo Stadium awaiting her chance to praise her son, Brodey. I leaned toward her in seriousness asking her one simple question I just needed to know. “What in the heck are you feeding that boy!” Brodey Bowman was the epitome of athleticism Thursday night, making easy work of highlight reels across social media. You might as well have handed him a bandana and strapped him on a six shooter, because he was committing robbery all night long against unsuspecting defensive backs. Like a madman on a mission, he looked like Mike Tyson slapping Jake Paul in disgust as they dared to stand in the way of his majestic might. With seven receptions totaling 229 yards and five touchdowns, he racked up a few school records Thursday, chiseling his name down in the history books. Bowman, you made fools of the Knights in true Tiger fashion. Great work! Canyon Evans has really perfected the art of escape when he needs to. I can only imagine that eerie feeling he must get as a big defensive end comes slobbering towards his backside with the drooling desire to fold him up like its taco Tuesday. You know you have all been there. On a dark night as you head back into the house and you get that spooky feeling that something is behind you and you start running as fast as you can to get to the front door, screaming like a little girl. That is what I can imagine as the hair stands up on the back of Canyon’s neck and he screams out, “NOT TODAY SATAN!” and hurriedly runs from evil to get the ball off to the next victim. Canyon grabbed himself 437 yards Thursday, gaining him a quarterback rating of a little over 150. Anyone that knows QB ratings, yes, that is exceptional. Evans has progressed so well, and I truly look forward to seeing his leadership this coming month as he helps grow the heaping pile of gold balls the Glen Rose Tigers have harvested throughout the years. Continue to give Glory to Whom it Belongs, Canyon, and he will bless you. The offensive line has again proven themselves to dominate; making the Waffle House jealous of their heaping servings of fluffy, sweet pancakes. Each game I see more and more of the lineman’s ferocity as they clear the path to success. They make such quick work of tallying points on the scoreboard, and you can find them on the sideline more than on the battleground these days. You might as well set up recliners and a television, hand them a sweet tea, and have them binge watch “The Office” on Friday night. Defensively, these guys have improved so much, becoming Glen Rose Ball-Raptors. That is the new word for the week. Let’s not start social media talking about how we should not be the Tigers, but we should change it to the Raptors. Please scroll on keyboard warriors. Ryder Ribitzki looks like a ball-hungry raptor, feeding off the weak prey of unsuspecting running backs who dare venture into his territory. That strong defensive line made easy work of shucking the big guys off and making plays in the backfield. Even our mighty little Caden Marrs cherry picked him an interception like an early Christmas present from the Knight’s quarterback. We are doing all the little things that win ball games right. From turnovers and yardage for loss, these guys are jiving well together. With further success though, comes the necessity for humility. Every game must be treated as if it is the biggest game of the season. We must treat it as if we are the underdogs fighting for the last meal. As each obstacle on this climb becomes tougher to scale, we must keep our eyes up on that beautiful summit with respect for each obstacle that can make us stumble. With each game comes the encouragement needed to fuel these hurdles. We as a community must show up. Like Coach Watkins likes to say, “we are only guaranteed ten games.” Each one of these playoff games is not given but earned. These boys need our fuel. As members, families, friends, and fans of our Tigers; we must encourage our community to make the drive with us. Invite everyone you know to help us cheer. The student section should be vast and loud; making opponents cower in fear of their criticism. Let’s load the wagons and venture west to Sweetwater, Texas. Here we come Seminole. On a non-football-related note, I am beyond proud of our boys showing up for the Randall’s Saturday. Each of them made sure that Blaine was loved and supported. Unfortunately, this is the second time this team has had to help a teammate through a loss. I hate it for these guys because it is one too many losses for young men that should not have to battle this young. Thank you, Tigers, for the brotherhood you portrayed and the willingness to look out for your own.