By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The challenges just keep coming for the LaGrange Grangers.

Two weeks ago, the Grangers faced the number one team in Class AAAA in the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes, and they took on the rival Troup Tigers last week.

Now, LaGrange is set to go on the road and face another Class AAAA powerhouse in Sandy Creek.

LaGrange (2-5 overall) brings an 0-4 Region 5-AAAA record into the game, while Sandy Creek (6-1 overall) is 2-1 in the region after losing a 52-42 shootout to Cartersville last week.

While LaGrange didn’t win last week’s game against Troup, head coach Chuck Gibbs was proud of the effort.

Trailing 14-0, LaGrange got a fourth-quarter touchdown run from Kale Gibbs to get within eight, but Troup held on for the 21-6 win.

“They didn’t quit. They didn’t lay down. They didn’t get discouraged,” said Gibbs, LaGrange’s second-year head coach.

While LaGrange has been eliminated from playoff contention, Gibbs is hopeful the team can enjoy a strong finish to the season and give the program some momentum heading into 2020.

After the Sandy Creek game, LaGrange closes the season with games against Chapel Hill and Shaw.

If LaGrange wins one of its final three games, it would improve on its two-win total from a year ago.

“We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re trying to get there,” Gibbs said. “As we get more kids back (from injuries), we’re going to get better. We’re looking to make sure we’re in a position to compete the last three games, and hopefully win some.”

An unfortunate story of LaGrange’s season has been the massive number of injuries, with dozens of players missing time.

As a by-product of the injuries, some players who normally may not have started until next season have gained some valuable experience against some of the state’s elite teams.

“It makes you real proud when you have sophomores and juniors and freshmen that are able to go in there and compete,” Gibbs said. “Now we’ve got freshmen that have started in three major games, Cedartown, Cartersville and Troup.”

One player who has answered the bell each week is quarterback Charles Crawford.

Crawford has had his share of injuries, and he was knocked out of last week’s game after getting sacked late in the fourth quarter, but he’ll be back under center when LaGrange’s offense takes the field on Friday night.

“I don’t know how many sacks (Troup) had, but he’s a warrior,” Gibbs said of Crawford. “He comes back fighting.”

LAGRANGE VS. SANDY CREEK

WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Sandy Creek

RECORDS: LaGrange (2-5 overall, 0-4 in Region 5-AAAA); Sandy Creek (6-1 overall, 2-1 in Region 5-AAAA)

LAST MEETING: Sandy Creek beat LaGrange 3-2