WINNSBORO, Texas — Friday night was home to four top 15 matchups teams in the #bEASTTexas Fabulous 15 poll. One of the most anticipated games all week was our Under the Lights game of the week, No. 2 Mount Vernon Tigers vs. No. 5 Winnsboro Red Raiders.
The Red Raiders trailed at the half, 14-13 but shut out the Tigers in the second half, scoring two touchdowns to win the game.
“We made a few adjustments, and the defense came out and played lights out, Coach Finney explained. "While the offense went out there and picked up two more scores. It was just a great atmosphere.”
A great atmosphere for Coach Finney who was Mount Vernon's head football coach before he returned home to his alma mater, Winnsboro in 2019.
“You got twice as many kids, you coach twice as many friends and you have twice as many enemies," Coach Finney said. "I've coached a lot of those boys over there when they were in junior high and some of those guys are some really good ballplayers and I had nothing to do with it. They've been coached up very well and they've had some very successful runs after I left. But being able to come back home and coach here at my alma mater and play against those guys, it was just a great experience for me and my kid.”
His kid, Kyler Finney, was 13 of 25 for 112 yards and two touchdowns, and he carried the ball for 167 yards and a touchdown.
“You only claim them as your son when they play well," Finney joked. "The rest of the time, they're their Mama's kid.”
The Winnsboro Red Raider are 7-0 on the season and undefeated in district. A feat Coach Finney says will now put the team on people's radar.
“We've kind of flown under the radar for a while, you know, didn't get the love that some of the other teams are getting. We're still 7-0 and barely can crack the top 10. But all we can do is sell it on the field and go out there and prove what we can do each week," Coach Finney said.