#HSFT17: Stop No. 56 — Saltillo Tigers

SALTILLO, MISS. (WCBI) — Saltillo Tigers look to improve from two straight losing seasons.

The Tigers have 16 seniors on the team in 2017, and the team aims for a new challenge.

“We’ve got a lot of experience back,” said head coach Pat Byrd.

“The thing in our region is, it’s changed. We’ve lost Oxford. We’ve lost Clarksdale, and we’ve lost New Hope, but in their place you’ve picked up Lafayette County, Olive Branch, and Grenada. We’ve kind of moved sideways as far as level of difficulty. We need some success early.”

“I just want to go out there and play hard for my teammates,” said junior linebacker Jemarcus Smith. “Just do what I’ve got to do to make everybody better.”

“We are trying to prepare for it this summer,” said senior quarterback Tytus Heard. “Hopefully we’ll have a good season and all that.”

A new season with new divisional opponents stand in the way of the Saltillo tigers.

The Tigers are coming off a 2-10 season in 2016, but the road doesn’t get any easier with the likes of Lafayette County, Grenada, and Olive Branch coming into the division.

Saltillo though has veteran experience back. 10 offensive starters and 6 defensive starters return in 2017. The new competition will be a challenge the Tigers will have to go through.

“Defending state champion in 4A,” Byrd said, referring to the Lafayette Commodores, “Grenada is West Point. Just in a different location, and Olive Branch is 6a talent. Just hired a new coach from Tennessee. They will kind of be a little bit of an unknown factor. Things aren’t going to change. We are just traveling different places. The quality of competition is going to stay the same.”

“It’s going to be hard, but I think we will have a good chance,” Heard said.

“They’re some good players and teams out there,” Smith adds. “We are going to have to play harder than what we did last year because they are some new people. They are going to be good teams.”

The Tigers haven’t made the playoffs since 2013, but the team will have to come together for an opportunity at post season play.

“Every year is different,” Byrd said. “You like to think you could, but their are so many factors. You got to stay healthy. You got to be a little bit lucky, and you got to be good at the right time.”

“Work together and be prepared as a team and just focus, and quit all that playing and stuff,” Heard adds.

Saltillo will get their season underway when they host North Pontotoc on August 18th.