Senior linebacker enjoying football team’s winning ways

For the second time this football season, the Sallisaw Black Diamonds are enjoying a two-game winning streak, which is pleasing to senior linebacker Kolten Riggs.

“It sounds good,” Riggs said. “It’s been really enjoyable. It brings the hopes up for the team. We’re all happy about it. It brings excitement to practice. We’re happier in practice.”

Tonight, the Black Diamond will have a chance to make it a three-game winning streak — both overall and in District 4A-4 play — when they visit the Hilldale Hornets in Muskogee.

“I think it just builds more confidence,” Riggs said. “I think all of our wins, especially stacking two wins on top of each other, are big. I just think we just lead with more confidence and more pride.”

Riggs is quick to point out that the Black Diamonds and Hornets are looking at tonight’s district game from a different perspective.

“Hilldale is going for the playoffs,” he said. “We’re talking about winning a district title. Beating Stilwell definitely put us more confident with a district championship. I think we would all be over the water with it (a win tonight).”

The senior linebacker is adamantly clear that the Black Diamonds are focusing on the Hornets tonight and not the Poteau Pirates, who Sallisaw will welcome to town Thursday night.

“I think we’re all focused on this week,” Riggs said. “Throughout the entire year, we’ve had the mindset of ‘this week’ first before ‘next week.’ I don’t think we’ll do anything special (in tonight’s game vs. Hilldale). We’ll just do things (tonight) like we did last week (vs. Broken Bow).”