The 3A-1 Charleston Tigers are now undefeated in their tough, 4A-4 non-conference schedule that featured three teams that were predicted to finish in the top five of that tough 4A conference: Dardanelle, Pottsville, and now Ozark. In the words of Charleston coach Ricky May, “It (the Ozark game) was a good game from the get go for the fans.”
Charleston (3-0, 0-0) returns to Alumni Field this Friday to open conference play with perennial playoff team, Greenland. The Pirates, who lost to Paris in the second round of last year’s state playoffs, are always a top contender for the 3A-1 conference title. Friday’s game in Charleston will be the first of two critical conference games that will go a long way in determining the conference champion and playoff seedings in November. Charleston plays Cedarville next week, and the two games will have a significant effect on the final conference standings. But before the Tigers can entertain any thoughts about the Cedarville Pirates, the group of Pirates from Greenland will be most pressing on their minds leading into this Friday night.
All conference teams across the state are looking to win opening games this Friday and to avoid playing catch-up for the remainder of the season. A first week conference win places a team in the top half of the conference in the win column and reduces the number of teams it has to pass by half of the total number of teams in the conference. Home conference games are big victories that every team wants, and for the visiting teams, a win on the road is priceless to their hopes of a conference championship and a high seed going into November’s state playoffs. So both teams should be up for this game, and if past history represents how this game will be played, it should be another thrilling game for the fans of both schools.
Greenland comes into the game with a 2-1 record having defeated Danville and Berryville. The only loss for the Pirates was a 49-14 loss to Elkins. The Pirates are always extremely well-coached by Lee Larkin, and he and his staff will have the Pirates ready to play when they get off the bus in Charleston. The series between the two schools have produced close wins by both schools over the years, and this game should be no exception. It is a big game for both schools, and it has always been played with a feel of being bigger than just the opening game of the conference season.
Resident Press will bring you a recap of this game in next week’s online edition. The Tigers are playing extremely well and have won three very tough non-conference games going into this week’s tilt with Greenland. Come out to the stadium and cheer on your Tigers! This could be a huge year for Charleston fans, and could be another year on the Highway 22 billboard of state champions!
