Kris Pickle is looking for commitment.
Whether it’s in the weight room, in practice, or in a game, the second-year head coach of the New Hope High School football team wants to see which members of his team can look past all of the ups and downs and the Trojans’ record and keep fighting. Pickle believes that attitude is more important that New Hope’s 1-6 (0-3 in Class 5A, Region 1) record because it is going to help determine who will be around to help the team reverse its fortunes this season and in the future.
That kind of commitment will make a big difference at 7 tonight when New Hope plays host to Oxford (5-2, 3-0) in a Class 5A, Region 1 showdown. Coming off region losses to Clarksdale, Center Hill, and Lake Cormorant — all games in which the Trojans were in position to win — Pickle knows time is running out if New Hope is going to return to the playoffs. To accomplish that goal, New Hope likely will have to win three of its last four regular-season games to have a chance to earn one of the four playoff spots in the eight-team region. New Hope is tied for last place with Lewisburg and Saltillo. Oxford is tied with Lake Cormorant for first place. West Point, Clarksdale, and Center Hill are tied at 2-1. New Hope will play Lewisburg, West Point, and Saltillo to end the regular season.
“At this point, you have to play the game for the love of the game,” said Pickle, who is in the midst of his first losing season in 11 years as a coach. “Just like I told them the (Wednesday) in practice, every Friday night from here on out, win, lose or draw, somebody is going to come play you. Somebody is going to suit up and they’re going to compete with you. How we answer the call every Friday night is going to depend on our preparation and how much we get ourselves ready to play this football game.
“Nobody is going to say, ‘New Hope is 1-6. We’re not going to come play them.’ They are going to come play every Friday. It is going to be a different team with a different set of challenges. I just challenged them to play the game for the love of the game.”
Pickle admits that has been tough in a season that has seen New Hope compete in nearly every game, only to see mistakes and a lack of execution stall the progress. Entering the season, Pickle realized his team was going to be inexperienced after losing more than 20 seniors due to graduation. New Hope also has had to adjust to not having running back Brenton Spann, who rushed for 1,736 yards and 21 touchdowns last season in the Trojans’ 10-3 finish. In March, Spann was one of three New Hope High students arrested by Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department deputies after being accused of statutory rape.
While many of the players who stepped in for the seniors or other players lost were upperclassmen, many didn’t have much experience at the varsity level.
“I think what you find out who is committed to you,” Pickle said. “You’re going to find out who is in it for themselves, for this team, for the love of the game. You can kind of find out who your players are and who you can count on down the road because the first thing that happens when you start losing is people start trying to find excuses and trying to find ways out. Everybody comes up with 15 excuses how they can not dress out or they can not practice because football is a tough sport. If you’re not winning, you want to have a reward for it.”
With only a 27-24 victory against Caledonia on Sept. 18 as the team’s only tangible reward, New Hope has struggled with growing pains and learning how to win or lose. Pickle said four seniors have quit or been kicked off the team. He also said some underclassmen have left the team for various reasons.
Pickle said he has harped on commitment ever since the preseason. He said some players have understood what he is trying to tell them, but it is difficult when things have changed so drastically from last season, when New Hope was 7-0 and preparing to face region leader Oxford in a showdown for first place.
This season, he said the slow start has allowed doubt to creep in and people are questioning what is going on. He said it has been challenging to convince the players that they are so close to being 3-0 in the region.
“I am not talking five or six plays. I am talking about one play that turns the game around,” Pickle said. “I can go to every game and give one play as an example, but kids get tired of hearing that. They want to see results.”
Pickle said ultimately it is the coaches’ responsibility to get the kids players going in the right direction, but he also wants them to understand they have to take some ownership in the program. He said only committed players will help New Hope weather the troubles this season and get back on track.
“I have learned a lot through this year as far as no matter how bad it gets you have to try to stay positive,” Pickle said. “There is nothing you can do about the wins and losses. When it happens, it happens and it is over. You can cry and you can decide, but, just like I told the guys, me and these coaches are going to come to work every single day like we are fixin’ to win a state championship. We are going to prepare every single day like we are trying to win a state championship.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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