Tigercats stunned by Liberty Christian

The Liberty Christian team proved why they are ranked as the number one team in the Northeast 1B league, when they defeated the LaCrosse-Washtucna/Kahlotus Tigercats, 78-0. The Tigercats traveled to Liberty Christian for an afternoon game on Friday, Oct. 26, and returned home with their second loss in league play.

Head coach Jeff Nelson explained that it was one of those games where nothing goes quite right. While he believes the Liberty Christian team is a solid team, possibly the best in the state, he did not expect the score to be so lopsided.

“We didn’t come to play at all,” coach Nelson said. “We quit before the game even started.”

On the Tigercats first possession of the game, Nelson said a bad snap caused a turnover and the team never recovered after the early mistake. The remainder of the game for the Tigercats resulted in the inability to earn a first down, and most of the drives only lasted three plays before Liberty Christian would gain possession. The halftime score for the game was 0-64.

“I think it’s going to serve as a wake-up call. We’ve beaten on the teams that we should beat on, but this was a little better caliber team and we have a tendency not to fight back,” Nelson explained.

After Liberty Christian gained a 46-point lead in the second quarter, Nelson put in the junior varsity athletes and let them play the remainder of the game.

The experience helped build the confidence of the players, and they earned a 46-0 win during a JV game on Monday.

The loss creates a tough situation for the Tigercats as they have to win the final game of the season in order to participate in playoffs. The Tigercats match up against Garfield-Palouse on Thursday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m.

The Tigercats are currently ranked third in the league while Gar-Pal is a close fourth in league play.

“I think defensively, we have to stop the run. They are a running team, and we have to make tackles,” Nelson said for the key to the Gar-Pal game.

With a strong group of seniors, Nelson believes the group will fight and play hard so their season can continue at least one more game. Nelson said the team is focusing on being tough, tackling and staying strong even when the other team is hitting hard.

The Tigercats are focusing on improving their running game for the Gar-Pal match up, and Nelson said that with the right improvements and focus, the team could walk away with a win.

All teams in the Northeast 1B league are competing in Thursday night games this week in case there is a tie in the league.

If there is a tie, those teams will play on Monday, Nov. 5.

The Tigercats play at Palouse High School on Thursday.