HAMILTON — The statement has been made.
Now the harder part might be on the horizon for the Hamilton High School football team.
Hamilton made six interceptions Friday in a 32-6 victory against Eupora in a Class 2A, Region 2 game in Hamilton. The win helped the Lions (7-1, 2-0 region) snap a five-game losing in the series dating back to 1994. It also gave Hamilton control of its destiny in the race to earn the top seed in the region for the North State playoffs.
“We’re just trying to guard against a letdown,” Hamilton coach Ray Weeks said. “Coming off a big, emotional win, you always have a fear of a letdown and trying to get them back up. That has been our main focus, trying to emphasize the importance of each game.”
Hamilton will take that next step at 7 p.m. Friday when it plays at region rival J.Z. George. Hamilton is tied with Ackerman (5-3, 2-0) atop the region standings. Ackerman plays Eupora (4-3, 1-1) this week and at Hamilton in two weeks. Hamilton will play at East Webster (4-4, 1-1) for the Wolverines’ Homecoming next week.
Those games will have plenty of ramifications on how the playoff race takes shape, especially with J.Z. George and Williams-Sullivan at 0-2 in the region.
But Weeks said the Lions, who matched the most wins in a season since 2005, are focused on the task at hand, not living on the glory of last week or looking ahead to the next “big” game.
“They know the opportunity and where they want to go,” Weeks said. “It has made my job a little easier.”
Hamilton’s defense made things easier Friday night. Senior Zarrat Sims had three interceptions to help the Lions earn their biggest victory in a number of years. Weeks said the Lions did a solid job of reacting on quick-hit passes by Eupora, which was using a backup quarterback. He said a touchdown run by Deion Howard and an interception return for a touchdown by Sims in the second half gave the Lions a valuable cushion and the added confidence they could get the win.
“In the past, it is always in the back of our minds, ‘Can we really beat those guys?’ ” Weeks said. “I don’t think this group ever thought that. I think when they hit the field Friday night they expected to win the game. I could see it in their eyes and I could see it in their demeanor.”
Weeks hopes that carries over to this week and to the final two games. He said it made him proud to see the players rewarded last week for their hard work, and he hopes that momentum will carry over.
“There’s talk about division and all of that, but we’re playing J.Z. George this week and we bring them back to reality because this is the most important game,” Weeks said. “Anything can happen on Friday night. We’re trying to keep them focused on one game at a time.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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