The Commerce Tigers return home Friday night looking to put a lopsided loss at Canton behind them as they host Edgewood for homecoming at Tiger Stadium.
Commerce enters the game 1-1 after opening the season with a 49-6 win over Lone Oak, then falling 64-14 at Canton last week.
KETR’s Jerrod Knight spoke with Tigers play-by-play voice Kevin Jefferies ahead of Friday night’s game. Jefferies said the Canton loss was marked by turnovers almost immediately.
“In the first five plays from scrimmage in the game, there were three fumbles,” Jefferies said.
Commerce finished with five turnovers, and Jefferies said the combination of mistakes, difficult playing conditions and an early deficit made it hard for the Tigers to recover.
Still, he said the loss may prove useful before district play begins.
“You learn that you’re a little bit vulnerable,” Jefferies said. “If you’re going to learn it, it’s best to learn it in the pre-district schedule.”
Commerce begins district play against Winnsboro on Sept. 25.
Before then, the Tigers face an Edgewood team that enters Friday night 0-2 and is rebuilding after losing standout quarterback Trevor Golightly. Golightly threw for more than 3,300 yards and 39 touchdowns for Edgewood last season while also rushing for more than 1,200 yards.
Jefferies expects Commerce to enter Friday night as the favorite, but said the Tigers need more than a win after last week’s performance.
“They’ve got to look sharp,” Jefferies said. “There are some connections with passing routes where they’re either miscommunicating on routes, or underthrows, overthrows or drops. Some of those things need to get sharper.”
Friday is also homecoming at Commerce High School, something Jefferies said adds energy rather than simply creating a distraction.
“They want to win on homecoming,” he said. “There is more excitement in the stands, and that gets the game itself going.”
Kevin Jefferies and Ryan Fulkerson will have the call of Commerce versus Edgewood Friday night on 88.9 KETR. Pregame coverage begins at approximately 6:30 p.m., with kickoff scheduled for 7:30.
