Gainesville senior night set | Sports

Gainesville will celebrate the Seniors Night against the Lake Worth Bullfrogs at Leopard Stadium on Friday.

Gainesville (2-6 total, 1-2 District 4-4A-1) will honor 15 seniors in its final home game in 2021.

Lake Worth (7-1, 2-1) had a much stronger season than last year and the Bullfrogs will try to keep that momentum going.

Gainesville trainer James Polk said the leopards are feeling confident, as they are every week.

“They show their confidence in the practice,” said Polk. “This group of guys practice really hard. They really like to be around them. They really take in what we say. The only thing that matters is that they do it consistently. “

Among the seniors Gainesville will honor are star running backs Harrison Dempsey and Jayce Morgan. The duo have worked together for 20 of the Leopards’ 21 lavish touchdowns this season, with the other senior Kyron Smith having the other. Dempsey and Morgan averaged 209.9 yards per game.

Dempsey, Morgan, and Smith are also three of Gainesville’s top four tacklers. Dempsey leads the team with 59 total tackles, followed by Morgan with 23. Smith has 18.

Senior Cason Evans leads the Gainesville defense with three interceptions. He also leads the offense with 112 yards and a touchdown. Senior Matthew Sebade has contributed 78 all-purpose yards.

Polk said the seniors meant a lot to the program, and not just because of their performance on the field.

“Because of their direct or (indirect) participation, our numbers have increased every year,” said Polk. “I think this has something to do with leadership, and kids just want to be with other good kids. These kids got really good grades. We have kids who are getting academic money for college. We placed children in the top 10 percent in this class … They meant a lot to the program, not just to football. “

Polk said Lake Worth is multiple on either side of the ball. The Bullfrogs use many different formations on offense and will both run and pass. They do the same thing on defense, using multiple formations to attack the ball. Polk said they are playing hard and coach Tracy Welch has steered the program in the right direction.

The Leopards are still fighting for a playoff spot. A win against Lake Worth wouldn’t do it, but it would put Gainesville in a better position for the last week. If the Leopards beat the Bullfrogs, they’ll need either a win over Springtown or a Lake Worth loss to Wichita Falls Hirschi to qualify for the postseason. If you lose to Lake Worth, you have to beat Springtown.

Polk said Gainesville needs to be consistently disciplined in football.

“We played really well in moments, quarters or halves,” said Polk. “We have to play disciplined football for four quarters of the year because that brings us. Maybe not where we should be in the field and they’re taking advantage of it. Not knowing what the snap count is and it’s costing us. It’s just discipline. “

The kick-off in the Leopard Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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