The Arlington Tigers Football team took on the Collierville dragons in a 6A Region-7 matchup Friday night. The dragons marched down the field and capped off the opening drive with a touchdown. Zach Baker quickly followed by throwing a 25 yard touchdown to Cannon Linebaugh. It was a back and forth battle all night long on the defensive side of the ball. The Tigers made a big defensive stop in the second quarter and returned a pick six by Gabriel Torres. The Tigers went into halftime only being down by 3. The Tigers tried to stay in it the whole way but fell short late in the fourth. A turnover on downs would allow the dragons an easy touchdown to go up by 10 with 1:13 left to play. A long 3 and out would seal it for the Dragons.
“I hate it for myself and the seniors. We did everything we possibly could in that game. Overall, it’s been a blessing to even be able to play games this season. We unfortunately couldn’t come out with a win but we are very fortunate to be able to play this year at all”, said Senior Dylan Keith. When asked “What do you feel the turning point was of the game”, Senior Zach Baker said, “I feel like there wasn’t necessarily a turning point. The momentum shifted back and forth the whole game. We knew it was going to be a fourth quarter battle and they unfortunately did better when it mattered most. It sucks for this team and especially our seniors. Some of us have been playing together since we were 6 years old. We’ve made many memories along the way, this being one of the bittersweet ones”.
The Tigers season will come to a close for 2020. “I’ve enjoyed coaching these seniors for the past two years. They have been a blessing to our team and me personally. Being around these guys everyday and building relationships with them is a big reason of why I started coaching. These guys have made an impact on the program for the past four years and it hurts to see them go”, said Coach Loyd. Jake Golday was asked what he will do in his free time now and he responded, “I’m a basketball player as well so I have that starting soon. After that I’m going to focus on getting stronger and getting my body ready for when I go play college football.” Jake has multiple division one scholarship offers. The Tigers will be looking to progress the 2021 season in hopes of making a good playoff run.
