Mosley prepares to host Rickards Friday

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -The Mosley football team is gearing up for yet another good test Friday night. They will host Rickards at Tommy Oliver Stadium, with a chance to nail down a playoff berth in the process.

The Dolphins are riding high. They began the season with wins against overmatched county rivals Rutherford, Bay and Arnold. They then rattled off four more impressive wins against Lincoln, Mobile Christian, Choctaw and Navarre, the latter three, on the road. The total numbers on the season, beyond the team’s first 7 and oh start in more than three decades, are impressive. The ‘fins have now scored 288 points, and given up just 49. So the team’s average margin of victory, 41-7. Certainly the X’s and O’s are working. Coach Whiddon says it goes well beyond that now!

“I think we checked all the boxes from a talent, physical, speed standpoint.” Mosley head coach Tommy Joe Whiddon told me early this week. “The thing that we’ve been working on is a team that cares about one another, that loves one another. I feel like if we can check all the boxes physically, but then also check those boxes emotionally, I think we’re gonna be a really tough team to beat. I think that as a team that’s where we made the most progress over the course of the season. Just being selfless, playing for one another, being excited for other guys success. To me that’s what we’ve been working on harder than anything else.”

The next test is Rickards, which comes west at 5-1. It’s won five straight since a season opening loss at Bartram Trail.

“Yeah we’re excited about it. Rickards is a really good program.” coach Whiddon said. “They were in the state championship game last year. A lot of those guys are back from last year’s football team. You know having a really good season up to this point. And you know they’ve got a lot of skill guys that can make a lot of plays on both sides of the ball. And I think it’s going to be a really fun match up on Friday night.”

Oh by the way, if the Dolphins can beat the Raiders, they will clinch the title in 6A Region 1, District 2. That guarantees them a state playoff berth and at least one playoff game at home.

That game Friday set for 7 at Tommy Oliver and is one of several we’ll feature on Friday Night Overtime.

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