A Malakoff Tiger fan posted the Tigers’ 2014 football schedule on the Henderson County Now page. Here are four thoughts I had.
1. This is the first time through this schedule. After realignment, the Tigers now play in District 11-3A (Division I), which includes: Malakoff, Elkhart, Eustace, Kemp, Palestine Westwood and Teague.
2. I cheered when I checked out who the Tigers will play on the road this year. The farthest trip is to Elkhart on Oct. 17, which mapquest says is about 52 miles from Malakoff. That means no road trip this year over an hour.
3. The Tigers will face Daingerfield in a big Sept. 5 non-district matchup in Malakoff. They say you get better by facing tough competition in your non-district lineup, which Malakoff Coach Jamie Driskell surely believes. Daingerfield was a state quarterfinalist last season and is a perennial powerhouse.
4. October is the important month for Malakoff as far as getting into the playoffs. The Tigers will play four of their five district games in the month.
Elkhart is a tough 1.5 hour drive — getting through and out of Palestine on the South can be tough, then you’re dealing with a 2-lane highway for 20 or so miles.