GREENE'S QUARTERBACK FEELS THE PRESSURE FROM BIG CEDRIC QUINN This week, the Tigers will have to play a disciplined game to beat the Fannin County Rebels. Last Friday's incredible win over the Tigers of Greene County propelled the W-W Tigers into the Region 8-AA championship game set for this Friday night at Tiger Stadium against the Rebels of Fannin County. If the Tigers win, it will be the first championship the team has won since 2000 under the direction of Coach Frank Vohun.

However, unlike the other teams in the north sub-region of 8-AA, Fannin will be no pushover. In fact, the Rebels may be better than anyone expects. A quick look at their scores from this season raises some interesting points both ways. For example, how did they hold Dawson County scoreless while on the other hand allowing lowly Putnam to score 20 points? Tiger Head Coach Russell Morgan noticed.

"The score that stands out to me is their score against Dawson," he said. "They beat Dawson 35-0 and I thought Dawson was pretty good offensively. So that concerns me a little and it shows that they are capable of playing pretty good defense."

On defense, Morgan said, "They are a lot like us in that they play very physical football, there's not a whole lot of fanciness."

The only time this year that Fannin's defense didn't shine was in the Rebels' only loss. Like the Tigers, the Rebels are 8-1; and like

the Tigers, that sole loss was at the hands of a AAA opponent. Pickens County beat Fannin 31-8 in the third game of the season.

Fannin runs a wishbone offense with two tight ends, one of which may split out from time to time.

"Offensively they are a lot like we were last year but they are probably a little more of a triple-option team," Morgan observed. "That's going to require us to play a very disciplined defense and we've really got to do a good job."

As for a specific game plan, Morgan indicated that there won't be any real surprises. "Basically we're going to keep doing what we do best," he said.

Looking back at the sub-region championship win over Greene, Morgan said, "our kids played their tails off. I can't say enough about them. To hold Greene County to just six points is phenomenal - it hasn't happened in the last two years and I don't know when the last time was when they were held to six points."

The statistics for the game bear out the equity of the two teams. First downs and penalties were dead even and there were only two yards separating the teams' total offense for the game. Other stats were similarly close except passing and rushing were slightly reversed.

And Josh Nesbitt, Greene's big gun, was held in check. He didn't have an especially bad night, he just couldn't connect on any big plays whether passing or rushing. And that's what W-W set out to do - not so much shut him down, but just keep him under control.

"We did a good job of limiting his big plays," Morgan said. "We put the defensive backs on man coverage and sent the house to try to keep him running and have to throw it in a hurry."

Whatever the plan - it worked.

Tickets for this Friday's region championship game are now on sale at W-WCHS and will be until 1 p.m. on Friday. Reserve seat season ticket holders may use their tickets to claim their seats but those tickets will not be good for admission.

If the Tigers win against Fannin, their first round playoff game will be at Tiger Stadium probably against Lamar County on Friday, November 17.