Tiger nation, let’s relax.

Yes, Friday night’s loss to Lufkin was bad. Yes, Consol was ranked third in 5A-DI by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. Yes, Lufkin was unranked. 

But the sky is not falling. This is a non-district game. More than that, this is only the third game of the year. There is no need to panic. 

At the same time, let’s not deny reality. Lufkin caught Consol flat-footed on both sides of the ball. The Panthers are a talented team who simply outplayed a higher-ranked opponent. And on the flip side, the Tigers lost a winnable game.

I’m not here to kick a man while he’s down and list every mistake that was made. Players have bad games, it’s the nature of the sport. 

But I would like to highlight a particularly interesting statistic: The Consol coaching staff sent their offense onto the field on fourth down inside the 10-yard line three times in the first half alone. They ended the night at 0-5 on fourth down. 

When you have a kicker as reliable as Mo Foketi, that decision is bold at best and baffling at worst. I can understand wanting to take a risk early in the game, but to repeat the same call multiple times when it’s going nowhere is clear grounds for debate. 

But once again, now is not the time to hit the panic button. Consol has had similar losses before, and the season turned out fine. 

Let’s take a moment to examine last year’s 24-17 loss to Willis. Consol came into that game ranked fifth in the state and walked out with a loss to a mediocre Wildkat squad mired by sloppy play. 

And then Consol went 7-2 the rest of the way and finished with their deepest playoff run since 2016. Adjustments were made, and games were won as a result. This season is no different. 

In fact, this year’s schedule helps matters. The Tigers are off this week, before opening district play with a visit to Georgetown on Sept. 23. It’s time to reset, make some adjustments over the bye week, and then hit the district slate hard. 

And it’s time for Consol fans to calm down. If you want a loss you can be mad about, head a few miles down the road to Kyle Field. I’m sure the folks there would love to hear your hot takes. 

For now, remember Lee Fedora’s favorite phrase and take things one game at a time. It’s a long season, and focusing all of your attention on an early-season non-district loss gains you nothing.