The Meigs County football team is off to its best start - 8-0 overall, region champion and ranked No. 1 in Class 2A - since 1996. The last time the Tigers achieved all three of those accomplishments was 21 years ago, when all-state running back Gary Meadows led them to the state title game.
This year Meigs hasn't had to rely as heavily on just one player, although sophomore quarterback Aaron Swafford is an all-state dual-threat star.
The Tigers have also earned 15 straight regular-season wins since losing at Marion County in the third week of last season, and Jason Fitzgerald - who's in his fourth year with the program and 16th overall as a head coach - earned the 110th victory of his career last week.
The Tigers close out the regular season with home games against Polk County tonight and Wartburg next week.
Two Bears decide
Bradley Central linebacker Jay Person has committed to Appalachian State, and Bears offensive tackle Chris Cash has settled on Air Force.
Person picked Appalachian over Missouri and Mississippi State.
"He kind of dropped Missouri when they fired their defensive coordinator, and I think he just really liked Appalachian better than Mississippi State," Bears coach Damon Floyd said.
It didn't hurt at all that Dale Jones, a legend in Bradley football circles, was doing the recruiting for Appalachian.
Person is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds.
"I think he can pick up 30 pounds without losing any speed," Floyd added.
Cash, whose mother Linda is director of schools in Bradley County, is 6-5, 300.
Floyd said Cash was also recruited by Harvard, Army, Austin Peay, East Tennessee State and Eastern Kentucky. The coach believes Cash will wind up as an offensive guard for the Falcons.
Floyds can reflect
Bradley Central will celebrate senior night when it hosts William Blount in a Region 2-6A game tonight. Twenty-six 12th-graders will be introduced one by one before the game.
And while the head coach has a great appreciation for what each of them has done while helping the Bears win twice as many games as they've lost during their four-year run, all seasons with state playoff berths, forgive him if he shows some partiality to one in particular.
Defensive back Jake Damon Floyd will be among the group being recognized.
"I hadn't had a whole lot of time to think about it," said Coach Floyd, who understandably has been focused on trying to help Bradley win a region championship this season. "My wife (Angela) has. She's already talked about it being emotional for her. It's definitely been a journey. We probably won't appreciate it until our season is over."