The Arlington Tigers football team will take on the Bartlett Panthers this Thursday, October 8, in a district matchup. They will face off at 7 p.m. The game was originally on Friday at 7 p.m., but was moved due to the rain from Hurricane Delta. Several other games in the Memphis area have also been rescheduled. The Tigers are currently 4-3 and The Panthers are 4-1, having some games cancelled due to COVID-19. Both teams have an excellent shot to win a district championship, but it all depends on who wins Thursday’s matchup.

The Tigers are very confident they will win if they protect the ball on offense and play great defense. “Our job on offense is to protect the ball and consistently move downfield and score”, said Senior Quarterback Zach Baker. When asked what the key to winning was, Senior Wide Receiver Dylan Keith said, “we have to be able to move the ball downfield on offense, we all have to do our jobs and nothing more than that, the rest will take care of itself”. The Tigers know that it will be a tough game, as the Panthers are on a 4 game win streak. “Our offensive line has to protect well, Baker has to be smart with the ball, and our receivers have to run excellent routes in order for our offense to be successful and win”, said Wide Recievers Coach Jonathon Loyd.

The Tigers defense is no easy task for opposing offenses. “We have a strong defense and we know that, if we stop the run game and get pressure on the quarterback, we have a really good chance to win”, said Senior Linebacker Jake Golday. “As long as we do a good job of stopping the run and not getting beat deep, we will be okay”, said Senior Defensive Back Jordan Johnson. Coach Craig Salley is the Defensive Coordinator for the Tigers, having massive success in previous seasons. The Tigers defense also has new additions this season in the coaching staff. Coach Josh Cooley and Coach Dave Williams have been added to the coaching staff, showing tremendous success thus far.