Friday night was wrought with emotion and frustration for Demopolis as it fell to a game Fayette squad that seemed to get more than its fair share of help from the striped shirts that officiated the contest.

In the thick of the fray all night was a Demopolis defensive line that continually battled against a talented, albeit tactically questionable, Fayette front. At the heart of that group’s efforts was junior defensive lineman Tremaine Sanders.

His hard-nosed, full-throttle approach from the opening kickoff to the final kneel down was indicative of the tenacious mentality the Tigers displayed all night.

Sanders came up with an apparent fumble near the end of the third quarter to hand his team the ball in a tied game. However, true to form, a questionable ruling by the officiating crew handed possession back to Fayette.

Undaunted, Sanders continued his quest to wreak havoc in the home team’s backfield. With Fayette punting from within the shadow of its own goal line late in the fourth quarter, Sanders penetrated the protection unit and drove the up-back into the kick to give his team ample opportunity to take the lead.

When that drive failed and possession quickly went back to Fayette, a visibly beaten and ailing Sanders found the strength to continue pressing as he helped the defense give its offensive counterparts one more chance.

At night’s end, Sanders could scarcely stand. He knelt a few feet from his huddled team and listened to Tom Causey’s address as a mixture of sweat and dejection fell from his face to the Fayette County turf. Soon thereafter, he pushed his way to his feet and, with the same resolve that fueled his play on the field a few minutes earlier, guaranteed his team would overcome.

For his defiance, determination and unrelenting drive, Tremaine Sanders undoubtedly merits this round of Player of the Week honors.