Tigers senior linebacker duo ready for Senior Night, more
The Central Tigers will be having their Senior Night game against the Liberty Tigers at 7 tonight at Tiger Stadium.
However, besides Central’s seniors being honored during the pre-game ceremony, there’s also business at hand.
If Central (6-3 overall, 5-1 in District AII-3 play) beats Liberty (5-4, 3-3) in tonight’s battle of Tigers, Central will do no worse that share the district championship. However, if Central beats Liberty and both Talihina loses to Mounds and Tulsa Regent Prep falls to Wewoka, Central will be the outright champions.
“We can’t get distracted,” Central senior linebacker/ running back Dillon Miller said. “We have to come out with our heads screwed on right. We have to rack up the points for district points. We can’t take this team lightly. They’re battling with Gore for another playoff spot, so they’re coming ready to play — they have nothing to lose. We have to come in all business.”
However, the Central seniors still want to be victorious tonight to end their home careers with a win.
“It’s big night for our seniors,” Central senior linebacker/ receiver Xhaiden Mosby said. “Most of us (seniors) have been playing this game most of their lives, if not all of our lives. Memories go through, but like Dillon said we can’t get distracted. We win first, then celebrate after.”
Last season, the Tigers enjoyed perhaps the best season of football ever, having a perfect regular season, winning a district championship and getting to the Class A state quarterfinals. Miller said at the start of the season, some of that momentum was fueling the Tigers in 2024, but not so much now.
“I think at the start of the year, we tried to piggyback off that, and it bit us because we’re not the same team (as last season),” Miller said. “So, piggybacking off that really didn’t help us. We needed to figure out our strengths, and we’ve done that. Knowing what we’re capable of now and where our strengths and weaknesses are — and where they lie — I think we can piggyback off ourselves and the wins we’ve had this season. This is a new team, and it’s going to be a new look.”
The Tigers are on a three-game winning streak since losing their only district game of the season at Talihina on Oct. 11. Mosby believes the team is hitting on all cylinders now.
“We are for sure starting to click,” Mosby said. “Building up our chemistry, whether it’s in practice or a game, the biggest part is the leadership. We didn’t have much to start with, and we paid for it — but we’ve developed it, for sure.”
Both Central seniors are ready for Week 11 to get here when the Class A, Division II playoffs get underway — which will be next Friday night.
“It looks like we’re going to have Hominy in the first round,” Miller said. “I hear a lot of people saying that Hominy is up there (respect wise). Hominy gets a lot of respect when it comes to football, but I think we deserve that respect, too. We’re not scared of Hominy, or anybody in that district really. I think we match up really well against them. I definitely think we’ll be making it to Round 2 (state quarterfinals of the Class A, Division II playoffs). I’m not worried about that.”
“I’m excited,” Mosby said. I’m excited to continue on. I want to leave my mark on people and the school — and the sport really.
