The Tellico Bears will take momentum into their regular season finale against the Whitwell Tigers, a former district rival. The schools are 2-2 against each other. 

2012 has not gone the way the Bears had planned, but they will gladly take a victory in week 10.

Whitwell has had a lackluster campaign. In the eight Tiger losses this season, they've scored just 62 points. Simple math will tell you that if a team scores just over a touchdown per game in all of its losses then their opponent stands a chance.

The only win for the Tigers came against Midway. Whitwell soundly beat the Green Waves 37-6. Other than that game though, there hasn't been much to brag about offensively this year for the Tigers. 

The common opponent in all this is Midway. The Bears let one get away from them and lost 28-14 on the road. Here is why you can throw that game out.

Tellico knows it's better than Midway. They just had an off night. Anyone associated with the program or who was even at the game can tell you that. 

So this game will come down to one question: Who wants to finish strong? Through nine games this year the Bears are averaging just over 16 points per contest. Once again, simple math brings to light the fact that the Bears score more and thus can win easily.

I look for the defense for the Bears to really play hard. This is senior night for Tellico and some of these guys will never suit up for another game. Defensively you don't have much to do but play assignment football. Get in the right position, and wrap up. If the Bears can do that, then they will win. This Tigers offense is historically bas and Tellico must take advantage.

A 3-7 record might not tell you a lot about a team, other than they lost more than they won. If the Bears pull out a win on senior night that record will mean a lot more to people. 

In a season, you're not just defined by the wins and losses. That's what people see in the record books, but there is more to every team. Character, heart, and determination are hallmarks of great teams. 

With a win on Friday, I think the Bears can look back at 2012 and be proud their accomplishments, and know they have all the characteristics needed to be great. We'll probably see that on display against the Tigers.