TAS: It was a sad finale for seniors
November 18, 1992
Maybe all of the Eagles had term papers that they had to turn in by Monday, or maybe they were caught up in the mysterious life of Austin Freeny, but whatever the reason, the fact remains the same. Georgia Southern lost a game Saturday that the Eagles should have won.
Now, I am not trying to take anything away from Troy State. They have a great team, as their 9 - 1 record attests, and they played a helluva game, as anyone who was there (which by the looks of the stands Saturday is not many) will tell you. A quick glance at the game story to my right will prove that.
But I still think that game was ours to lose or win. We were in the driver's seat and we let it slip away.
Troy State was in the same position that we were in facing Georgia. The Trojans are in a year of reclassification limbo as they finally fulfill all requirements to become a member of I-AA football next year. So, they could learn a lot about their program and sort of feel out the competition this year.
Georgia Southern, on the other hand, was playing a team that could not help its poll standings in any sort of quantifiable way--unless they lost.
The GSU players were visibly shaken after the game, but the men that I feel the worst for are Henry Parrish, Donald Wheeler, Don Hudson, Ronald Johnson, Rusty Parrish, Rex Nottage, James Baker, Chris Arnoult, Gregg Richardson, Terrence Sorrell, and Shawn Haralson; for, you see, they are seniors, and Saturday's loss to Troy State was the last game they will ever participate in at Paulson Stadium.
These eleven players should have gone through Saturday's game without a scratch, without breaking a sweat to honor the great success that they have brought to this small school, and even smaller town in southeastern Georgia. But that would, in a way, cheapen their accomplishments.
Football is a tough sport and everything that happens in it is hard. The Eagles obviously would have preferred a win, but not a win that was handed to them.
They learned how to sweat here at GSU, and they learned how to win as well; but they also learned how to be gracious winners, and if you know how to do that, you can also be a gracious loser.
Georgia Southern has one more chance to make the playoffs this year, but I wish it could be a home game. Our seniors deserve a more fitting finale than they received.
Maybe all of the Eagles had term papers that they had to turn in by Monday, or maybe they were caught up in the mysterious life of Austin Freeny, but whatever the reason, the fact remains the same. Georgia Southern lost a game Saturday that the Eagles should have won.
Now, I am not trying to take anything away from Troy State. They have a great team, as their 9 - 1 record attests, and they played a helluva game, as anyone who was there (which by the looks of the stands Saturday is not many) will tell you. A quick glance at the game story to my right will prove that.
But I still think that game was ours to lose or win. We were in the driver's seat and we let it slip away.
Troy State was in the same position that we were in facing Georgia. The Trojans are in a year of reclassification limbo as they finally fulfill all requirements to become a member of I-AA football next year. So, they could learn a lot about their program and sort of feel out the competition this year.
Georgia Southern, on the other hand, was playing a team that could not help its poll standings in any sort of quantifiable way--unless they lost.
The GSU players were visibly shaken after the game, but the men that I feel the worst for are Henry Parrish, Donald Wheeler, Don Hudson, Ronald Johnson, Rusty Parrish, Rex Nottage, James Baker, Chris Arnoult, Gregg Richardson, Terrence Sorrell, and Shawn Haralson; for, you see, they are seniors, and Saturday's loss to Troy State was the last game they will ever participate in at Paulson Stadium.
These eleven players should have gone through Saturday's game without a scratch, without breaking a sweat to honor the great success that they have brought to this small school, and even smaller town in southeastern Georgia. But that would, in a way, cheapen their accomplishments.
Football is a tough sport and everything that happens in it is hard. The Eagles obviously would have preferred a win, but not a win that was handed to them.
They learned how to sweat here at GSU, and they learned how to win as well; but they also learned how to be gracious winners, and if you know how to do that, you can also be a gracious loser.
Georgia Southern has one more chance to make the playoffs this year, but I wish it could be a home game. Our seniors deserve a more fitting finale than they received.
Labels: TAS
posted by David at 1:45 PM
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