After bye week, Pirates return to action in District A-8 opener tonight at home vs. Talihina
The Gore Pirates took last week off, since they opened their 2023 football season on zero week. Gore coach Brandon Ellis said the week off was used in the best possible way.
The Gore Pirates took last week off, since they opened their 2023 football season on zero week. Gore coach Brandon Ellis said the week off was used in the best possible way.
“We utilized it 100 percent,” Ellis said. “It was very good for us. We had a couple of guys who were dinged up. We practiced every day, but we took it light. You can tell today helped us as far as advantage wise. We’re 100 percent healthy.”
Now, the Pirates (3-0) return to action as they enter the most important part of the regular season — District A-8 play.
“I told them (Monday) that whatever we’ve done in the past doesn’t mean anything,” Ellis said. “It was just a tune-up. Everybody is 0-0 (in district play). This (district play) is where your postseason starts. We have to walk in there knowing that nobody has won a (district) game yet. It put a little fire under them.”
The Pirates will entertain the Talihina Golden Tigers in their district opener at 7 tonight at K.G. Horn Stadium.
The Golden Tigers (2-1) are returning to the gridiron after not playing a varsity game in 2022 due to lack of high school players. This year’s team, which is basically underclassmen, opened the season with a 42-14 win over the Idabel junior varsity, then lost 21-0 to the Poteau JV before winning last week 6620 at Savanna.
“Just the name, ‘Talihina,’ says a lot,” Ellis said. “When you play Talihina with that sticker (looking like Texas Tech’s ‘TT’ on its helmets), you’re a 14-point underdog. That’s the kind of tradition they have. (Talihina coach) Kelly (Gravitt) does a great job. They have a good, young bunch coming up. He’s been prepping these kids, so they’re doing things right. I don’t think he’s going to mess with a lot of stuff that he hasn’t already shown. I think he’s just trying to get them to play football as hard as possible — and do things the right way.”
The key for the Pirates will be to do all the fundamental things well.
“We just have to do the little things — don’t shoot ourselves in the foot and can’t have turnovers,” Ellis said. “We have to limit the penalties. We can’t play behind the chains. We’ve had a week off. In Game 3 against Mounds, we still weren’t very clean, so that’s one of the things we’ve worked on (during the bye week).”