Young Middleton is in the playoffs

MIDDLETON - Craig Harris has become accustomed to coaching teams with smaller rosters than most of the teams he coaches against.

That’s just a part of football at Middleton High School.

What’s not typical for the Tigers program is the youth on this year’s team.

“We’re younger than we usually are,” Harris said. “We were an older group last year than we usually are, so I guess it was only natural for that to happen this way this year.

“But we’re dealing with it well I guess. We’re teaching the guys. More guys are coming out, so that’s something positive.”

Harris said at one time the Tigers had about 35 guys out for football earlier in the offseason. He expects to have about that number when the season starts on Aug. 19.

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One big thing is for sure for the Tigers. They know 2016 will be the year they end their 24-year playoff drought.

It was 1992 when Middleton last made the postseason. Harris was a player on the Tigers then. He had hopes of ending the drought in 2015, but the team needed one more win in Region 8-1A to get there. It didn’t happen.

So how do the Tigers know they’re already in the postseason? There were six teams in 8-1A last year, and Middleton is the only school not in Shelby County in the league. The Memphis-Shelby County Schools System closed two schools earlier this summer – Northside and Carver. They were both in 8-1A, which means there are now four teams in the league, and all four are going to the playoffs.

“We’ll take it any way we can get it,” Harris said laughing. “But seriously, we would rather have won our way into the playoffs.

“But it’s obviously good knowing that no matter what happens between now and Week 11, we’ve got a shot in the postseason. We can work with the mindset of preparing for that first round and playing for seeding.”

The three remaining teams in the league are KIPP Academy, Booker T. Washington and Middle College. KIPP appears to be the toughest of the three, but Memphis Middle also beat Middleton last year.

The Tigers beat Booker T. Washington in Week 11 as that team went 0-10 last year.

“We feel good going in because we’ve got some young kids who have a chance to be really good,” Harris said. “They’re athletic and have a lot of potential.”

Brandon Shields, 425-9751

Middleton Tigers

Last year’s record/finish: 3-7/5th in Region 8-1A

3 key returners: Austin Agee (OL); Gage Davis (DB); David Lor (RB)

3 key games: Sept. 16 at Middle College; Sept. 23 vs. Tipton-Rosemark; Oct. 28 vs. Booker T. Washington