FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME: UNSELFISH TIGERS DEFLECT THE CREDIT ELSEWHERE

After the Class 4A sectional football game between Cape Central and Hillsboro Wednesday night, there were some players so muddy, you couldn't tell which ones were white or which ones were black.

You couldn't tell which ones were wearing white jerseys or which ones were wearing blue.

But you could tell which ones were Tigers. They were wearing smiles.

The moments following the Tigers' 33-17 win were what Cape Central football has been all about this year.

Big, little, black, white; It doesn't matter as long as you're a Tiger.

After the game, I was conducting some interviews and a player -- I can't quite remember who -- came up to me and said, "You've got to talk to Eaton. He had the game of his life."

I said, yeah, where is he? So this player led me through dozens of his mud-soaked teammates shouting for the junior receiver.

Andrew Eaton -- who had 115 yards on four catches, one of them a 53-yard touchdown -- indeed had the game of his life and picked the most important game of the year to have it. But, more impressive to me, was the fact that one of his teammates knew this and he wanted Eaton to have his day in the sun. After his day in the mud, he certainly deserved it.

But that's what this team is about. Always giving the other guy credit.

O.J. Turner is probably the best linebacker in Southeast Missouri. But you ask him to talk about his performance and he talks about the defensive line.

You ask quarterback T.J. Erlacker about his 336-yard clinic in which his accuracy was unbelievable, especially for a such a soggy night, and he talks about his linemen and receivers.

You ask Eaton about his game and he talks about T.J. and the offensive line.

You ask Ricky Ogles about his two interceptions against Farmington and he talks about the defensive line, the linebackers and the coaching staff.

You ask head coach Lawrence Brookins about the turnaround this team has had since last year and he talks about the players and the assistant coaches.

You get the picture.

There's a lot of credit to go around here.

This is as unselfish a team as I've ever seen. After games, when I go down on the field and talk to the players and coaches, not once has a player asked me about his personal stats.

Not once have I heard grumblings of jealousy.

The Tigers (7-4) will have their hands full when they go up to sixth-ranked Washington (10-1) on Monday. The Tigers aren't supposed to win this game, but after going 1-9 last year, they weren't supposed to win their district, either. And remember, Cape Central is about five or six plays away from being 10-1 or 9-2 right now. The Tigers failed to make some big plays and gave up some big plays in their earlier losses.

They're making those plays now and have outscored their last five opponents 123-17.

But no matter what the outcome of Monday night's game, the Tigers of the Class of 2001 will be able to hold their heads high. They did what they weren't supposed to do.

And they did it together.