By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

Injuries and all, the LaGrange Grangers will keep moving forward and try to make the most of the season they have left.

A short-handed LaGrange team, with nearly 30 varsity players suffering from injuries of varying severity, fell to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in Region 5-AAAA with last week’s 45-2 loss to Cartersville.

LaGrange faces another big-time challenge this week against the Troup Tigers (4-2, 1-1), who were off last week.

While Cartersville ended up winning last game’s handily, LaGrange head coach Chuck Gibbs had no qualms with the effort his players gave.

LaGrange scored first on a safety in the first quarter, but Cartersville ran off the next 45 points.

LaGrange trailed 31-2 at the half, and that’s the way it remained until Cartersville scored a touchdown in the closing moments of the third quarter.

Cartersville, with its starters still in the game, added another touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“The energy was good, and it was positive,” Gibbs said. “(Cartersville coach Conor Foster) reached out to me and he said he really admired the way our kids fought and played hard, and with sportsmanship. When you get your opposing teams talk to you and tell you how much of a difference they see in the football team, that helps. Losing’s hard. You do realize that there are a few things that are bigger than the game, and we know we’re making huge strides. We hope to get a few kids back, maybe not for next week against Sandy Creek, but the following weeks against Chapel Hill and Shaw.”

After a productive practice on Monday, LaGrange was forced indoors on Tuesday because of the rain.

Gibbs has been happy with the energy he’s seen from the players during practice, although he was disappointed to have to give up an outdoor practice on Tuesday.

“I think these kids are excited. The one thing that does help us is it’s rivalry week,” Gibbs said. “There’s a new-found energy. The kids come out and are dialed in, and are focused in at practice. The rain doesn’t help us. We’d like to get out on the field. It’s really hard to replicate (Kobe Hudson’s) speed, his moves.”

LaGrange is in the midst of the most challenging portion of its schedule.

Last week, LaGrange played a Cartersville team that hasn’t lost a region game since 2011.

After the Troup game, LaGrange plays Sandy Creek, which is unbeaten and has blown out every team on its schedule.

LaGrange closes the regular season against Chapel Hill and Shaw.

“We’ve got four games, and this one’s rivalry week, and next week is one of the top two or three teams in the state,” Gibbs said. “We’re trying to get better so we can compete.”