ootball team is at home for the first time since Week 2 at 7 p.m. Friday in a conference match against Columbia Academy.
“It’s kind of like the movie, ‘There’s No Place Like Home,’ ” Pioneers head coach Mike Powell said. “I think everybody in the locker room is glad to be back on campus Friday, and the field is in great shape. We’ve done a few more decorations on the field. We’re going to have a lot of people on campus, a lot of stuff going on, we have a couple things pregame and during halftime so we should have a really good crowd and the weather’s going to be nice.”
The Pioneers are coming off a loss at Presbyterian Academy last week, while Columbia Academy lost to visiting Lamar School, 55-38. Last season, Parklane won at Columbia 42-6.
“We want to put on a show for our fans,” Senior quarterback and defensive back Carr Young said. “The teams we’ve played have been tough. We’ve had some bumps and bruises along the road, and we’re just trying battle back from them.”
Pioneers senior wide receiver and defensive back Jack Dumas said the advantages of the home atmosphere should help the (1-5) Pioneers.
“I’m excited about it because there’s nothing like playing on your home field in front of your home crowd,” Dumas said. “In front of your home school, family, friends, and everybody and it just feels good to be back, and I think we’re going to make a turn around this week being around here.”
Although Parklane (1-5) enters on a four-game losing streak, including 40-0 shutout at undefeated Oak Forest Academy, the seniors hope leave one main lesson with underclassmen — “for them to never give up, to never quit trying, just to have heart,” said Dumas, who tore his ACL the third game of the season.
“What I want to accomplish with that is to show them that it is possible and when times are rough, you just got to keep pushing and keep fighting and things will get better,” he said.
Young agreed.
“Don’t quit. That’s the one thing that we need to work on and we need to instill in these guys,” Young said. “You can beat by 10 points or 35 points, you’ve got to learn to fight for everything you get.”
Senior tight end and linebacker Jace Travis expressed similar sentiments.
“Be a role model for the younger ones,” he said. “Don’t just down them, but pick them up when they’re down and motivate your teammates to not give up just give it all you’ve got. I think it would be a motivation for us to get back on our field and we got most of our players healthy this week.”
Wide outs Sanders Ott, Ben Lampton and Dumas accounted for 147 receiving yards on 14 receptions last week, but they expect bigger things against Columbia Academy (4-2).
“They’ve got some pretty good players,” Dumas said. “They’ve got a lot of speed. They play man coverage, which I think we’ve got the receivers and the skill and ability to beat that this week and we’re going to try to do that.”
