Tigers aim to stay undefeated in district play

A week removed from upsetting the Fort Stockton Panthers in its District 1-4A Division 2 opener, the Snyder Tigers seem confident as they prepare for their next opponent, the Monahans Loboes.
Head coach Wes Wood said getting a taste of victory was a big achievement for his squad.
“Getting that first win is huge for you in the confidence and morale department, but it was especially important for us having started the season 0-4,” he said. “It just proved to the kids that it’s not impossible and we can win games. Then to do it to against a caliber of team of Fort Stockton, on the road, they’re 5-0, we are 0-4. It was definitely eye-opening to the kids because it wasn’t just any win. It was a big win, so to have that going under our belt going into the Monahans’ game, it is definitely something you want to try to build on.”
The Tigers (1-4, 1-0) will host a Monahans team that is having a down year, considering the history of the program.
The program is making the transition from a wing-T offense to a more spread attack under first-year head coach Fred Staugh. The Loboes come into the game 1-5 and will be looking to respond after a 34-32 loss to Pecos last week.
Monahans’ offense runs through junior quarterback Bond Heflin and senior receiver Peyton Adams, who at 6-foot-4, presents a large target. Both sophomore Tre Gomez and senior Jaheam Amos will get carries out of the backfield, with Amos having scored on a 54-yard run in the loss to Pecos.
The Loboes will also look to get the ball to senior Lewis Wesley however they can, as he will line up both in the backfield and at receiver.
Both the offensive and defensive lines are anchored by seniors Blaine Hunt and Ryan Jewett.
Wood gave a lot of credit to the physicality his team played with for the win over Fort Stockton last week and he said he hopes to see more of that this week.
“We have always talked about unbelievable effort and I think we have done a good job in the effort department, but things just hadn’t gone our way,” he said. “I kind of approached it a little bit different in how I wanted them to approach the game. We are going to pass out confidence like we are passing out candy at a parade. I want them to spread confidence around like we are unbeatable. I want them to step on that field and think that nobody can stop them. We are going to have a ‘I refuse to lose’ mentality and I think that resonated with them last week because we were headhunters and we swarmed to the ball. That physicality is going to be the difference.”
Wood said he has some familiarity with Monahans through his connection with former head coach Mickey Owens, whose son is a close friend of Wood.
“I love those guys. I know more about Monahans than maybe many other schools through them,” he said. “It’s a good, traditional school where the kids go and work very hard. It is a football town. You are not going to get a walk in the park when you play a school of that caliber because of how those kids are raised. They are not going to lay down. We are going to have to impose our will and stomp on their throat if we get them down. They are a quality football team and it is going to be a battle, but we will be up to the challenge.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Tiger Stadium.