Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
After the Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowboys were defeated by a good Dunnellon team on Homecoming by a close 28-26 score, the team was naturally disappointed. Head Coach Mike Coe asked the team after the game, “Would you accept it if we went 11-3 and won a state title?” Coach Coe reminded the team that most of there goals remained very attainable. From that moment on, the Cowboys have been undefeated and have crushed all the opponents in their way through the playoffs. The Cowboys have outscored their opponents by a whopping 152-6 during their playoff run.
Much like the summit of a mountain can be the steepest challenge before one reaches the mountain top, the Cowboys will face possibly their steepest challenge yet on Saturday, Dec. 11, when they play the Hornets of Hawthorne High School for the Class 1A state championship. The Hornets are undefeated and are bringing a very good football team to the contest.
The Hornets have a huge line and a backfield that can move the ball. Defensively, they are a very opportunistic group that can make any team pay dearly for any mishap. The Cowboys will have to play error-free football if they are to bring another championship back home.
“They [the Hornets] are humongous up front and have really fast, skilled players,” said Coach Coe. “The [quarterback] is an absolute stud who’s a game changer. They’re not overly fancy trying to trick you, but they don’t have to be. We will have to have our very best game and the ball bounce our way a few times.”
Tickets for the Class 1A state championship game are $14 in advance and $17 on the day of the game. Advance tickets may be purchased online at https://gofan.co/app/school/FHSAA. For those unable to go to the game, a pay-per-view broadcast is available at https://fhsaa.boxcast.com. Gene Cox Stadium is located at 601 Paul Russell Rd., in Tallahassee. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.