The Selma Times-Journal

Friday’s game is for pride.

The Selma Saints have had their share of region losses, and they want homecoming to be different.

If the Saints (3-4, 1-4 6A Region 4) have a long memory, they’ll know last year Robert E. Lee beat Selma on the Generals’ homecoming for their only win of the season.

With Lee (0-7, 0-5) coming to Selma this year, the Saints hope history doesn’t repeat.

“No matter what, we’re determined not to lose this game,” Selma coach Brian Montgomery said. “We want to beat them like they beat us last year. Last year we lost our homecoming, and we’re not going to lose this one.”

For the first time all season, Selma’s rushing attack was held in check.

That was due in large part to penalties. Montgomery estimated anywhere from 23 to 28 penalties were called on his team, including five personal fouls.

One of them resulted in a player’s ejection.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Montgomery said. “There’s no way we committed that many penalties. We were trailing 6-0 at halftime and running them up and down the field. I hate that the game was decided like that.”

Montgomery and his team are committed to turning that performance around and denying the Generals of a win on their home field.

“We’ve just got to take care of business this week,” Montgomery said. “We know we should win this game, so that’s what we’ve got to do.”