The Belton Tigers are in that situation for the first time this season after their 10-0 loss to Copperas Cove last week. Until then, the Tigers hadn't faced any adversity while rolling through their first six foes.

But during its homecoming game at 7:30 tonight at Tiger Field against a Killeen Ellison squad fighting for its playoff life in District 12-5A, Belton expects not only to bounce back but also to learn from its mistakes.

"The thing we talked about Saturday morning after we worked out, we told them as a staff, 'Watch film, watch the plays you made, but watch the opportunities you had to make two or three other plays,'" Tigers coach Rodney Southern said. "The difference in a game like that is when you're in a position you have to make the play.

"They understand other than missing a couple of opportunities that (the loss to Cove) may have been the best football game that's been played around here in a long time. They also understand that we took a team that everybody around here is gauged by their success toe-to-toe."

Coming into the week Belton (6-1 overall, 3-1 in 12-5A) shared first place in the league with Bryan, College Station A&M Consolidated and Cove. A victory tonight would move the Tigers closer to their first playoff berth since 2003.

Despite the hard-fought loss at Cove, Belton might have gained confidence by winning nearly every statistical battle on offense and defense and proving it can perform at the highest level. Now it's all about building on that momentum.

cmeister@temple-telegram.com