Despite a lackluster start to district play, the West Marion Trojans (1-6) are still within reach of a spot in the Class 3A playoffs. They'll have an opportunity to take huge stride toward achieving that goal on Friday when they host the district rival Perry Central Bulldogs (2-4) on Senior Night.
The Trojans are in desperate need of positive momentum entering Week 3 of their district schedule after falling in lopsided losses to Seminary (46-6) and St. Stanislaus (30-6). Head coach Brandon Thornhill said while things have been tough for his team lately, they've made more improvement than what meets the eye, and he hopes to see the progress show in the results of their final three district contests.
"We're just a really young team. We only have 13 upperclassmen on the roster this year. That's just the hand we've been dealt, " Thornhill said. "But they are improving. It might not seem that way from the stands, but I see it every Friday and every afternoon at practice. Our younger players are getting valuable experience and learning with each game, and we have a senior class that really wants to fight their way into the playoffs and keep their season going. If we can get a win over Perry Central on Friday, we'll be on track to make that happen."
This season certainly hasn't been smooth sailing for the Bulldogs, either. They're off to a 2-4 start following back-to-back losses against Greene County (33-21) and Jeff. Davis County (39-0). Thornhill said expects to get the Bulldogs' best shot on Friday, however, knowing the importance of the contest for both teams' postseason hopes.
"They always give us a tough matchup, and I can't imagine it'll be any different on Friday with it being such a decisive game for the district standings," he said. "They've got some good athletes, and they're well coached. I do think we'll have better luck on special teams this time around. Last week we were facing one of the best kickers in the state, and he flipped the field on us a few times and put our offense with their backs to the goal line. There aren't many like him around here, so hopefully we can create some better starting points for our offense and give them some opportunities to put points on the board.
"We're young, and we're still learning and growing as a team, but the effort is there and these guys really want to get a win on Friday. We're going to put our best foot forward and see what happens."
Kickoff for the Trojans' matchup against the Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m.
