article Collins Notebook 10/29/14

Do the Right Thing

Work Hard

Overcome Adversity

Find a Way

Finish Strong

That is the Titan 5, the motto that the Collins football team lives by. You will often hear the Collins coaching staff and players talking about the Titan 5, but this week you can be sure it will be emphasized even more.

Collins is coming off a week of adversity amid a season full of adversity. Before the season started, safety Quintin Murphy, who recorded 69 tackles and 5 interceptions last year as a sophomore, suffered an injury that has kept him out all year. Injures have continued to pile up as the season has gone on and kept a number of players out each week. A number of injuries on top of a young team full of newcomers has created a great deal of adversity for the Titans to overcome. Collins started out the year with 3 straight losses but responded by winning 4 out of the next 5, including 3 district contests and a rivalry game. Now, after last week’s shutout loss at North Oldham put them on the verge of being dethroned as district champions for the first time ever, the Titans have a new set of challenges to overcome. I’m sure Coach Lucas and the Titans will “Work Hard” and “Find a Way” to get past last week’s events and prepare for a tough Anderson County squad.

As the regular season ends this Friday, Collins will look to “Finish Strong” against the Anderson County Bearcats before heading into the playoffs. Coach Lucas has always scheduled a tough opponent to play in the final week of the season to prepare his team for the playoffs. Last year Collins played Anderson County and the two years before that they played Bryan Station. Anderson County will certainly present the tough challenge that Coach Lucas desires for his team as they enter the game with a high-powered offense averaging over 37 points per game. Quarterback Zach Carmichael leads the Bearcats with 633 rushing yards and 1,479 passing yards. Anderson has a mostly balanced attack but are geared slightly more towards the run. Sophomore linebacker Bryndon Labhard leads the defense with 58 tackles.

Collins will be the underdogs heading into the final game of the regular season but shouldn’t be completely discouraged after last week’s loss. The circumstances surrounding the week made a win nearly impossible for the Titans. Plus, Anderson County has given up point totals of 33, 34, 35, 48, and 52 this year, so Collins should be able to score on the Bearcats. With freshman JR Lucas making his second start, he will most likely be more prepared and have a better outing than last week. Win or lose, the Titans should keep one thing in mind: The Titan 5.

I agree. Let them work hard and prepare for the next 5 weeks. This team still has potential to make a run thru Region 2. There isn't a team that they can't beat in the region. Going to be a lot of score board watching Friday just to see how they finish and who they will play. Need a win plus ALOT of help from others.