Cougars host Bears for homecoming

STAMPS, Ark.—It’s homecoming in Lafayette County.

The Cougars (0-4, 0-1) will host Spring Hill (1-2, 0-1) for a conference match and also their homecoming festivities, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m.

“We’ve had some injuries come up this week, and I told the kids all week long that we have to minimize our mistakes while captilizing on their mistakes,” Spring Hill head coach David Clark said. “They have some really good athletes down there.

“It’s their homecoming, so I know they’ll be fired up. I’m sure they remember last year when they had us by three or four touchdowns and we came back to beat them.”

Last season, the Bears topped Lafayette County in Week 5, 36-35.

“We have to cut out the mistakes and hopefully we can get the ball to bounce our way,” Lafayette County head coach Bobby Clark said. “That downpour last week really affected us. We had 13 fumbles and lost eight.

“They had a third and 30 two times last week and got a tipped ball right into their receivers hands. Hopefully, we can catch some breaks.”

Spring Hill’s size will pose matchup problems for the Cougars.

“Spring Hill is big up front,” Bobby Clark said. “They’re going to try to get three or four yards every down, but if we can stop that, I feel we have a chance. We have to make them do something else besides trying to run the ball down our throat-type football stuff.

“That’s what their going to run at us, but we have to be able to stop it.”

Junior Key Rhodes leads the Bears’ rushing attack with 118 carries for 783 yards and a score for the season through three games.

“Like I told the kids, our playoff future starts Friday night,” David Clark said. “An old saying in coaching is you have to win the game we’re supposed to win, try not to lose the game you’re supposed to lose and try to get those in-between. I know they’re going to be fired up and ready for us.”