Reinhart’s week leading up to Tuscola’s quarterfinal game against Astoria South Fulton was busier than he ever wanted.
On Tuesday, two days after his team notched a come-from-behind win against unbeaten Mount Sterling Brown County, Reinhart’s mother died. As Reinhart’s biggest fan, Irene helped talk him into taking the Tuscola job so she could be in the stands and watch her son coach. She did that once this season, but a fall led to further health problems that kept her at home.
“It’s been tough,” a choked up Reinhart said. “My mom was a great example of a football mom. We had all these plans, but she never quite made it back from the fall.”
Reinhart and Tuscola are no strangers to adversity. In the spring of 2008, wide receiver Gunnar Edwards’ mom died after falling on stairs at the family’s home. Thankfully for Reinhart and Tuscola, the practice field has given them a place to escape.
“I think what has made it able to cope is just the great coaches and the kids,” Reinhart said. “Just the fact on the practice field that you forget everything.”
The field has been a savior all year for the Warriors, who have battled bits of adversity related to the roster. Injuries and suspensions have dramatically changed the lineups between Game 1 and Game 12. The response from the players on the field every week has been the same — we can win with who we have.
“It seems like every week there is a different adversity and they have learned to stay focused and get better,” Reinhart said. “It’s a great credit to these kids who have stuck with it and had faith.”
Sophomore Josh Brookins was one of those players in last week’s win. Without stud linebacker Jordan Knerr, Brookins filled in and helped keep Tuscola’s defense strong and steady. Along with Brookins, T.J. Onstott, Chase Little, Phillip Meyer and Jack Leonard are some others who have stepped into roles.
“Every week something new seems to come up and it’s always tough, but we have a lot of players who we’re always confident in to put out there,” senior Matt Pflum said.
Reinhart credits his coaching staff for its talent evaluating skills because each roster move it makes seems to work, especially on defense. The Warriors (8-3) enter today’s game giving up only 7.2 points a game.
“The defense just continues to get better,” Reinhart said. “You look at who we started with and it’s totally different, but it hasn’t mattered.”
A Tuscola win would cap an emotional week for Reinhart and send his team to the semi-finals. Pflum said the team is ready to do “something special for him,” but Reinhart insists that he wants this win for the players who continue to battle each week.
“A win would mean a lot, but I want them to play for themselves,” Reinhart said. “I want them to win this game because we have so many kids who have made mistakes and the kids who haven’t deserve to win.
“This is for them.”
South Fulton brings similar style of defense
Tuscola quarterback Phillip Meyer is going to be seeing a lot of what his own team does defensively.
South Fulton (8-3) mirrors the Warriors on the defensive end with hopes of pressuring the quarterback into poor decisions. Rebels’ coach Dave Wilson knows what to expect from Tuscola and he thinks his team is ready.
“They only have 11 out there just like we do,” Wilson said about Tuscola. “It’s a game of football with basics of blocking and tackling. We’re playing pretty well and hopefully we can show up and play hard.”
South Fulton does have a quarterback who’s passed for more than 1,600 yards, but he left last week’s game against Greenfield in the first quarter with an injured ankle. His status for today’s game is unknown.
The Rebels also have a 1,300-yard back in Tyler Perry, who’s also scored six touchdowns.
Today’s game kicks off at 4 p.m. in Tuscola.
lbridges@herald-review.com|421-6970
Published in the Herald & Review in November 2009.
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