Howard struggled in the 2014 prep football season, getting no closer in 10 games to a win than a 34-18 loss to Lancaster Christian.
It’s been that way since a third-game upset of Loudon in the 2013 season. The Hustlin’ Tigers actually have struggled for a while, their last winning season (8-3) and playoff appearance coming in 2010. They won only three games over the next four seasons.
A glimmer of hope, though, is flickering these days in Tiger Town, based partly on second-year coach Mark Teague and partly on a hearty bunch of rising juniors who witnessed the good years under Alvin Tarver, who directed Howard to four seasons with seven or more wins from 2006 to 2010.
“This core group of sophomores is large in numbers. They’re very close-knit. They came up together and never separated,” Teague said. “They made almost an unspoken commitment to stay together. They play basketball together and they hang out together on weekends.”
Some had chances to go elsewhere but they stayed, spurning financial-aid offers.