The Blue Tide football team has one last chance tonight to win a game and avoid being the first team to have a 0-10 season since 2004. And, if they can manage it, nothing could be sweeter than beating Pierce County, which kept the Tide from .500 seasons in 2007 and 2008.
In both 2007 and 2008, Long County took on the Bears for the final games of the seasons, each time needing a victory to go 5-5. However, the Bears sent the Tide home with 4-6 season marks.
Long County might have a shot at victory tonight as the Bears aren’t what they were in the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Tonight’s Bears come into the game with one win. A loss tonight would give them their worst season since 2004 and 2005, when they finished 1-9.
This year, the Bears have been up and down, playing hard but losing games they were expected to win.
In the third game of the season, they lost to fifth-ranked Charlton County 38-36. They also played tough against Brantley and Tattnall counties, losing to both by less than a touchdown. On the other hand, they were blown out by McIntosh County and Benedictine. Their one win was a 40-0 shutout over Jeff Davis — the same Jeff Davis that beat the Tide a few weeks ago by a point on homecoming.
The Blue Tide made several mistakes during last weeks’ game against Brantley County. Although Long County moved the ball, the team was able to put up only seven points. In the previous three weeks, they scored 21, 20 and 28 points.
On paper, the Tide matches up pretty well with the Bears. Both teams give up a lot of points — the Tide 43 a night, the Bears 30. Pierce County has been putting up 16 points a game and the Tide put up 12.
The game in Blackshear starts at 7:30 p.m.