T.L. Hanna hopes to avoid repeating last season’s slip up

ANDERSON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - This time last year, T.L. Hanna was 2-0 and coming off a big win over Greenville when they got thumped by Westside 45-7, but they’re learning from that loss ahead of this year’s rematch at Westside.

T.L. Hanna has also started this season 2-0 and just beat Greenville again, which is a team that made the state semifinals each of the last two years.

Yellowjackets senior free safety Jay Harrison explained the mentality that caused their letdown in this game last season and why it won’t happen again Friday.

“Not thinking it was going to be easy, but a little more lenient (before last year’s Westside game) than going into Greenville the week before,” Harrison said. “This year, we’re definitely going to take it a lot more serious.”

Head Coach Jason Tone said a silver lining from last season’s 38-point loss to Westside is the learning that took place afterwards.

“We talked about how the scoreboard shouldn’t dictate our effort,” Tone said. “Last year, when we got down (to Westside), our effort dropped tremendously. And I think we grew from it. During the year, it propelled us to a win streak that wound up propelling us to the second round of the playoffs.”

The Yellowjackets rattled off eight wins in a row after last year’s loss to Westside. These teams are less than seven miles apart, and Coach Tone highlighted the Anderson adversaries’ atmosphere.

“I keep telling the kids all the time that they’re going to miss it when it’s gone,” Tone said. “That’s why I became a coach originally is that feeling, that feeling you get on Friday night. You can’t replicate it and you can’t explain it.”

Coach Tone also dropped some fun facts about how he’s using food to motivate his football players.

He said if they rush for more than 400 yards in a game, their entire offense gets pizza and if they hold their opponent to zero points, their entire defense gets steak.

If they’re able to do either one of those against Westside on Friday, they should have a great chance to win FOX Carolina’s Game of the Week.

FOX Carolina continues its Tailgate Tour by showing off the fun surrounding the big game in the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts along with highlights around 10:45 Friday night.

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