“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” 

It’s not every day a Mother Theresa quote aptly describes a football team’s mindset, but that just about sums about the thinking of coach Marcus Rogers’ Vicksburg squad heading into Friday night’s game against Indianola-Gentry.

The Gators have picked up the pieces from a 42-0 blowout loss to crosstown rival Warren Central and are now trudging ahead with short memories and a long list of expectations.

“I think (Monday) we had a great practice. We had a great film session. Ran the guys a little bit, and ran them, and ran them some more,” Rogers said. “For the most part, they were excited. The attitude was there. I thought there would be a little sadness, but we got that out of them Sunday, and then Monday was a great day.”

The pain of losing has been washed away by the promise of something bigger — a clean slate. Vicksburg hosts Gentry this Friday in its last game before region play begins, and when foot meets leather next week, the rest of the Gators’ Region 2-5A mates will all be 0-0.

Rogers and his staff admit they have plenty of work to do on the field, but their approach this week has been one of mental preparation to combat the self-inflicted wounds that have plagued the team in 2014.

“What we’ve been trying to do here lately is just mental. I talked to the guys Monday before we watched film as a whole group, about 45 minutes,” he said. “Just a heart-to-heart come to Jesus talk. I let them know that everything we’re trying to achieve is right there for us.”

The first-year head coach ultimately shouldered the blame for last week’s defeat, and is now going back to ground zero once again.

“After losing a game like Friday, it kind of makes you look in the mirror and check yourself as a coach. I went back to some basics and some fundamental type things that I used to do at the beginning when I started coaching,” Rogers said. “I kind of shaped it and formed it the way I want it to be Friday, and I think we should have a pretty good showing.”

While Rogers doesn’t think his fast-paced spread offense is too complex for the talent level at Vicksburg, he does want to simplify it so that his players can better grasp it.

“We’re going to keep it simple. A lot of formations, but the same plays,” he said. “Just trying to use our strengths, exploiting our strengths, because I did a great job of exploiting our weaknesses Friday.”

Turnovers have been the main thorn in Vicksburg’s side this season. Early interceptions and fumbles against McComb and Warren Central dug a hole the team simply could not climb out of. On Friday, the Gators are looking to make sure they don’t give Gentry any breathing room.

“We’re going to do the small things but we’re going to do a lot of it and just give our guys a chance. We didn’t have a chance Friday with those turnovers,” Rogers said. “We limit our turnovers and just do what we do, and every week I say limit the turnovers, but we’re going to make sure they’re limited this week. You will see that Friday.”