Gibson County, McNairy Central and South Side forget their losing ways

Winning isn't easy at any level when it comes to football. Building a program that is a consistent winner, especially at the high school level, is even harder.

For years, Gibson County, McNairy Central and South Side struggled to find consistency. Winning games was hard to come by, and a winning season was even rarer.

Things have changed in 2018.

Under second-year coach Tyler Reeder, South Side is 5-0 and ranked No. 5 in Class 4A. The Hawks immediately found success. An 8-5 season last year ended a 10-year playoff drought, and that success has continued into the new season.

Reeder likes what he's seen out of his team and the changes that have occurred within the program.

"The biggest thing I've seen with the kids is the effort and what they put in to this," Reeder said. "When you take over a program that hasn't been successful, you have to teach them how to win. Now that they know how to win, they're learning how to stay on top and play at (a) high level every single week, and I think that's the most important thing we've seen."

Like South Side, McNairy Central also sits on unfamiliar ground with its 4-1 start. The Bobcats already have matched their win total from 2017 with five games left in the season. Their remaining opponents have a combined record of 8-15, so the chances for McNairy Central to end its 10-year playoff drought is better than it has been in recent memory.

The resurgence of the football team has made a positive impact on the school. While students used to ignore the program and skip the games, that isn't the case in 2018.

"Our fan base has definitely gotten bigger this year, and we can see that every game," McNairy Central coach Brian Franks said. "From the fans, to the cheerleaders, to the band, everyone is getting behind the program, and that means a lot to the kids as far as turning the program around. When they know that everyone believes in them, that helps a lot."

While South Side and McNairy Central have experienced a winning season at some point over the past decade, Gibson County has not. There was even a stretch from 2008-13 that the program went 0-47. Those days are in the past, and the Pioneers aren't looking back. 

Just one year removed from a 1-9 record, the Pioneers are 4-1 and have a real shot to finish atop their region and have their first winning record since 1995.

The mentality at Gibson County has changed under third-year coach and Pioneer alumnus Cody Finley. Players are showing up and lifting when in previous years they didn't, and losses no longer have the same effect on the team that they used to. Finley has instilled a winning mentality.

"I constantly remind them that they've gotten their tails kicked for three years and that now we've really got a chance to do something special," Finley said. "We don't want to show up flat or think that we're too good. We try to play like we're fighting for our lives, and we've done a great job of that so far."

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Reach Joe Spears at jspears2@gannett.com or 731-343-4923. Follow him on Twitter @joe_spears7.