A mark of every great team in modern sports history is how well the squad plays after a tough loss.

Marshall County (2-1) may not be in the great category just yet, but the Tigers followed up a disheartening loss on statewide TV to Tullahoma (5-0) with resounding success, beating the 5-A Shelbyville Golden Eagles (2-2) 50-35.

"Our number one plan was to focus on ourselves last week and get better as a team," Tiger coach Thomas Osteen said. "Our goal was to handle adversity in the game much better than we did in the second half versus Tullahoma."

The Tigers did a much better job of matching the Golden Eagles’ scoring opportunities, answering the first score with four unanswered touchdowns and after Shelbyville cut the Tigers’ lead to 29-21 early in the fourth quarter, Marshall County tacked on two quick scores to extend the lead to 43-21 before closing out the win.

"I think the way we quickly answered their score to start the game (was a key moment in the game)," Osteen recalled. "I was proud that we started quickly and scored on our first four possessions of the game."

"I think this means we are slowly getting better," Osteen added. "We need to commit to the process each day and dedicate ourselves to improving daily and not worry about what the scoreboard says."

After a dismal scoring output versus Tullahoma, the offensive unit was firing on all cylinders against a stout Shelbyville defense.

Junior quarterback Bryson Hammons masterfully controlled the offense, throwing for 238 yards and three scores on just nine completions.

The budding receiving duo of A'Ky Howard and sophomore Jayden Hart combined for six receptions for 175 yards on three touchdowns.

Howard, a senior with a handful of college offers, contributed season highs of four receptions for 95 yards and his first two touchdown receptions of the season.

"We were lined up in a bunch formation, basically in that you have a point man and a back man and obviously the defense saw this on film, but they weren't ready for the pass," Howard recalled about his first score. "The corner was realigned inside and Bryson rolled out to his right and I baited him inside and cut his hips and there I was wide open and walked in for my first touchdown of the game."

The long game was there for the Tigers as Hammons completed passes of 42 yards to Howard, 45 yards to Hart and a 37-yard completion to Connor Hilton, his only reception on the night.

Hilton also led the Tigers in rushing for the third straight contest with 49 yards and two scores on 12 attempts plus four tackles, two tackles for a loss and a pass defended.

Howard and Hart have now combined for 16 catches for 355 yards and three scores in just three contests.

Lamarion Pierce chipped in 31 yards on the ground on just four carries and Demari Braden added 17 yards on six attempts.

Devonte Davis led the defensive unit for the second straight contest with 10 tackles, two for a loss, a sack, a quarterback hurry, and an interception with a 22 yard return.

Freshman Antomme Cawthorn continues to impress, adding nine tackles in just the third game of his prep career.

The ever-steady Christian Stacey contributed eight tackles with two for a loss and senior Logan McKnight added four tackles with an interception for a 14-yard return.

Stacey leads the defense with 28 tackles on the season while Davis has 22 tackles this year.

The Tigers will now look to an old and familiar rival, Giles County (2-2) to keep its winning streak alive Friday night at Preston Hopkins Field in Lewisburg for senior night.

The Class 4-A fifth-ranked Tigers host the Class 3-A eighth-ranked Bobcats, who enter the game with a mixed resume.

Giles County beat up on a good Columbia squad 42-13 last week after picking up its first win of the season via a COVID win against region opponent East Nashville 1-0.

But it's the Bobcats’ losses that lay out a different picture.

Giles County opened the season with a close 20-13 loss to 5A Lincoln County (3-1) before losing to 6A powerhouse Hendersonville (2-2) by just eight points, 17-9.

What does that tell the Tigers?

The Bobcats can play with anybody.

"Giles is always extremely well-coached and physical," Osteen pointed out. "They have a great back and an elite defensive line. We must execute at a high level and match their physicality in order to have a chance to win."

This Giles County matchup was a late addition to an already set schedule because region opponent Maplewood (and all other Davidson County public schools) has yet to start the season due to high COVID-19 numbers in the metro Nashville area.

The two longtime rivals will also play a regularly scheduled contest later in the season in Pulaski, so whomever wins the initial contest will have a shot at redemption before the playoffs begin in November.

"We all love Giles County week, but nothing changes about playing Giles County," Howard laughed. "It's a rivalry game and always will be, 100 or 200 years from now. We're definitely all hype for Friday."

The senior night festivities begin at 6 p.m. followed by a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Marshall County 22 7 0 21 - 50

Shelbyville Central 6 8 0 21 - 35

Scoring Plays

First Quarter

SC -- Lakota Young 68 pass from Kade Cunningham, (run failed), 10:16.

MC -- Connor Hilton 2 run, (Jon Estes kick), 7:30.

MC -- A'Ky Howard 30 pass from Bryson Hammons, (Estes kick), 5:54.

MC -- Howard 42 pass from Hammons, (Devonte' Davis run), 3:25.

Second Quarter

MC -- Jayden Hart 55 pass from Hammons, (Estes kick), 11:42.

3:25

SC -- Cunningham 9 run, (Cunningham run), 5:37.

Fourth Quarter

SC -- Cayden Puckett 9 pass from Cunningham, (Harrison Canter kick), 11:54.

MC -- Hilton 12 run, (Estes kick), 8:09.

MC -- Davis 21 interception return, (Estes kick), 7:46.

MC -- Logan McKnight 12 interception return, (Estes kick), 6:51.

SC -- Demarcus Smalls 2 run, (Canter kick), 3:24.

SC -- Young 12 run, (Canter kick), 0:33.

THE YARD STICK

MC SC

Rushing Yards 84, 260

Passing Yards 258, 269

Total Yards 342, 529

First Downs 11, 20

Penalties-Yards 2/30, 6/50

Turnovers 1, 3

Return Yards 65, 44

3rd Down Conversions 2-of-4, 4-for-9

4th Down Conversions 0-for-1, 1-for-2

Marshall County Offense

Rushing: Connor Hilton 12-49-2TD, Lamarion Pierce 4-31, Demari Braden 6-17, A’Ky Howard 1-0, Bryson Hammons 2-(-7).

Passing: Bryson Hammons 9-12-238-3TD-0INT.

Receiving: A’Ky Howard 4-95-2TD, Jayden Hart 2-80-TD, Connor Hilton 1-37, Devonte Davis 1-13, Lamarion Pierce 1-3.

Kicking

PAT: Jon Estes 6-6.

Kickoffs: 8-455-5TB.

Punts: Joseph Gold 2-37.

Returns

Kickoffs: Kaden Whitson 3-33.

Defense

Tackles: Devonte Davis 10 (2TFL, SACK, INT), Antomme Cawthorn 9, Christian Stacey 8 (2TFL), Isaac Brinkley 6, Kayden Whitson 5, Hayden Sheppard 5, Jayden Hart 5 (TFL, FUM REC), Chandler Davis 5, Lamarion Pierce 4, Connor Hilton 4 (2TFL), Kortez Ingram 4, Joseph Gold 4, Logan McKnight 4 (INT), Omari Armstrong 3, Demari Braden 2, Grayson Miller 1, Kamron Dunnavant 1, Jonathon Bair 1, Anthony Diaz 1.