By Ross Johnson

Sports Writer

Senior night for the Lafayette Christian football team has an extra sense of urgency.

The Cougars, hosting first-place Ballard Christian Friday night at Whitesville Road Stadium, will honor their soon-to-be graduates, then play one of their biggest games of the year.

Lafayette (3-4 overall, 2-2 ICSGA South Region) needs one more win to solidify itself in the playoffs, but a victory over region foe Ballard will be a tough task.

Ballard (6-1, 3-0) has run over every region opponent it has faced, and is an all-around good team, according to Cougars’ head coach Nick Nehring.

“They’re well-coached, they put a lot of points on the board and they’ve got a sound defense,” Nehring said. “We’re going to have to play a good game, and we know that.”

Lafayette and its eight seniors have been through a lot in the past few weeks, including a pair of disappointing, heartbreaking losses.

In last week’s setback to Trinity Academy, Lafayette led for the whole first half and into the third quarter before allowing a barrage of Trinity points in the fourth quarter to lose.

A week before that against Faith Academy, the Cougars drove down to the opposing goal line for the game-winning score, only to have the clock run out on the comeback.

The Cougars have endured some tough losses this season, but Nehring keeps seeing his team get back up and continue to fight.

“We’ve had some tough games, but they’ve always gotten back up to bounce back,” Nehring said. “They’ve got great mental toughness.”

A loss to Ballard Christian wouldn’t mean an end to the Cougars’ playoff hopes.

Lafayette still must face Cross Point Academy in two weeks on the road, but a win over Ballard would go a long way.

“We’ve definitely talked about the playoffs, and this is our last home game,” Nehring said. “We’re encouraging all the players to leave it on the field and have no regrets.”