JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Fight'n Indians ended the regular season on Friday with a 35-25 loss to Corsicana, but there is still more football to be played by the Tribe as the team will be taking on Lancaster in a Class 4A, Region II, Division II bi-district contest on Thursday night (7:30 p.m.,  City Bank Field in Forney).

A pair of Indians, Bryson Haywood and Derrell Minifee, were named Monday as the team's Players of the Week.

Haywood, the Defensive Player of the Week, made 21 tackles against the Tigers Friday night.

The senior defensive back also two tackles for loss and five big hits.

Haywood has been the team's leader in tacklers for the past two seasons and has not slowed down a bit in his final year as a Fight'n Indian.

Minifee, also a senior, came up with seven catches for 89 yards to lead the Tribe in the Corsicana game.

With 5:20 to play in the third quarter, Minifee, the Offensive Player of the Week, latched onto a Carter McCown pass and turned it into a 26-yard scoring reception.

Minifee and Haywood are among a handful of Tribe players that are been recruited by NCAA Division I schools.



   Indians to face formidable foe in Lancaster in bi-district

Ending the regular season at 4-6 overall, 2-3 in District 16-4A, Jacksonville finished the campaign as the runner-up in Division II — Whitehouse will represent the loop as the top seed in Division II, while John Tyler and Corsicana will be the Division I representatives — and will face Lancaster (9-1) the Division II first=place team form District 15-4A, in a bi-district.

The Tigers, who have a win over John Tyler this year and have been ranked as high as No. 2 in the state Class 4A poll, were ranked No. 10 last week.

“They are a lot like John Tyler personnel wise,” Jacksonville head coach Chris Taber said. “They are very athletic like John Tyler, but they don't have the same mentality as John Tyler.

“They like to run the football and they do a very good job at doing that.”

The winner of the Lancaster/Jacksonville affair will play either Lucas-Lovejoy or Hallsville in Area play.

DIRECTIONS: From Hwy. 80 in Forney, take Exit 548. Turn south at the traffic signal. About a ¼ of a mile down the road make a right onto Hwy. 548. At the intersection of Hwy. 548 and FM 741, turn left. Coming from I-20, take Exit 740 and turn north from the ramp. Continue to the first traffic signal and turn right. City Bank Stadium is located sat 800 FM 741 in Forney. City Bank Field opened in 2003 and seats 8,985 and features a two-tone green artificial playing surface.