By Adam Minichino
Each victory is another brick in the foundation for Kris Pickle.
But the first-year New Hope High School football coach would be remiss if he didn’t acknowledge the importance of his team’s latest victory, a 35-24 win against Columbus last week. Not only did it help New Hope snap a four-game losing streak in the series, but it also enabled Pickle’s squad to build on a victory against Aberdeen in its season opener.
“I think (the victory against Columbus) gives the kids confidence, but, on the same token, it lets the community know what we are trying to get done, we are making progress,” Pickle said. “I think it is bigger for a community win than just a team win.”
New Hope will face a different streak at 7 p.m. Friday when it travels to Caledonia. The Trojans have won the past nine games in the series, including the past six by shutout. The last time Caledonia scored was in a 13-12 loss in 2007. The Confederates’ last victory in the series was a 14-10 decision on Sept. 10, 2004.
Those facts are only numbers to Pickle, the former assistant coach at Aberdeen High and the former head coach at Morton High. The only thing Pickle is concerned about is a well-coached Caledonia team that is 3-0 and he knows is going to be hungry to end a streak it would like to forget.
As important as it was to beat Columbus, Pickle understands the game against Caledonia will provide a different test. Pickle hopes his players will pass the challenge and not be overconfident simply because they defeated a Lowndes County rival that is a higher classification (Class 6A) in the Mississippi High School Activities Association. He knows two games into his tenure that New Hope (2-0) isn’t where it needs to be and won’t be able to walk out onto the field and name the score against an improved opponent.
But at least New Hope figures to have a strong running game to lean on. Junior Brenton Spann rushed for 255 yards on 32 carries last week to fuel the Trojans’ victory.
On the other hand, Pickle feels his team will face a two-pronged challenge from senior running back Brandon Henry and sophomore quarterback Spencer Unruh.
Pickle said he talked to his players Monday about the similarities the programs. He said Caledonia is where New Hope was in reference to the series against Columbus. Despite all of the programs recent success, Pickle cautioned his players to be ready because anything can happen in the game of football.
“I am sure they are taking the same approach that we did against Columbus in trying to make a statement — a statement game,” Pickle said. “To take the next step, we have to overcome a little bit of adversity. You come off a big win against Columbus and it is very easy as players to take a step back and say, ‘Whew. I am going to take a week off.’ It can’t be because you’re fixin’ to play a pretty good Caledonia football team that is well coached. They’re 3-0. It doesn’t matter who they play. You still have to snap the football and you still have to play. Anytime you beat somebody in the game of football, it says something. It doesn’t matter who it is.”
Pickle even used the Mississippi State football team’s 47-34 victory against Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday as a prime example of how things don’t always go according to plan. That’s why Pickle hopes his players continue to improve and do their jobs to keep pushing the program in the right direction.
“It is the little things that add up to make you a great team,” Pickle said. ” Can you overcome a big win and get ready to play next week? There are going to be a lot of big wins throughout the season if you are a great team. You’re going to go out and beat a West Point one time, or an Oxford, That is a big win. Then you’re going to have turn around and you may have to play a Center Hill or a Lake Cormorant. You have to learn how to overcome and take a big win, let it go, and learn to play next week. That is part of learning how to win and deal with winning and getting ready to play the next week.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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