Black Diamonds senior lineman hopes for first win of season tonight
The last time the Sallisaw Black Diamonds played a meaningful game on the turf at Perry F. Lattimore Stadium was the 2024 Class 4A opening-round playoff game victory over Grove.
The 2025 season home opener will be at 7 tonight against the Stigler Panthers, and Sallisaw senior linebacker Jace Holman can’t wait for it.
“I’m really excited,” Holman said. “I’m looking forward to it. It will be a good one.”
The Black Diamonds suffered their first season-opening loss in two years last Friday night when they lost 45-22 to the host Pryor Tigers. Holman said the loss taught him and his teammates one big lesson.
“I think we underestimated them,” said Holman, who led the Black Diamonds in tackles last season. “We knew how good they were, but we didn’t expect (the result that happened). We just need to put that behind us. We’re not going to underestimate Stigler for sure. We’re definitely working on it.”
Holman said there would be nothing sweeter than to get win No. 1 of the 2025 season at home tonight.
“The home opener is always a good time,” Holman said. “We’re going to have a lot of fans out here. It will be great. It’s always important (to win the home opener).”
Holman is sad that once the final game of the 2025 season is played, which he hopes is in Week 14 when the Black Diamonds are playing for the Class 4A state title, that there will not be any more Sallisaw football for him.
“It’s definitely sad because you can always go play (pick-up) basketball, but you can never strap on the pads again and play football,” Holman said.
