Once again, the Tigers have come to the end of their football season. After spending the last 19 years stretching their successful season into the playoffs, the team hung their helmets after a loss to West Mesquite, ending their season early with a 3-7 record.

Some people agreed that the team did poorly during the season solely because of a tough schedule. However, several key injuries may have played a vital role in the team’s struggle.

“Throughout the season, I saw an unfortunate amount of injuries happen to key players,” Athletic Trainer Forestt Bridges said. “Key players were injured, and I could see the loss of those players as a factor leading to an unexpected record.”

Sophomore Oscar Cordova, a new face to the varsity football team, stepped up to be the starting kicker this season. Against the Tiger’s rival, Arkansas High, Cordova’s hip flexor tore due to overstretching and inflammation. His absence caused multiple games of avoided extra points and unfortunate kickoffs.

“After my hip flexor partially tore, I lost a decent amount of strength and form in my kicking,” Cordova said. “I was coached back to having most of my strength back, but after the injury I didn’t feel like I could perform to the extent of what the coaches felt necessary.”

After spending time on the freshman and JV football team, junior Trestin Whitehead was finally given the chance to perform on varsity. Coaches soon learned that Whitehead was a strong, key member to the team’s success. However, during a game against Kilgore on an ordinary play, his knee landed abnormally, causing his medial collateral ligament to partially tear.

“Because the tear was so severe, I was held back from playing out the rest of the season,” Whitehead said.

Kendall Reid, a face that most everyone at the school can recognize due to his community service and his leadership on the football team, had his season staggered during a practice where one hit implemented fear into every play for the rest of the season. After close observation by the trainers, they discovered that Reid had sprained acromioclavicular joint in his right shoulder

“The injury inflicted a mental aspect of fear,” Reid said. “The hit happened in a spring practice, so I dealt with the sprain for the entirety of the season. I favored my [left] shoulder, because I had the constant fear of hurting my [right] shoulder again.”

Be it injury or a schedule of great opponents, the Tigers prepare to build, strengthen and prepare for the next football season with new faces and an improved playbook.