By JIM STEELE

When the final out was recorded and Huntingdon celebrated a 6-4 victory in the District 13A winners' bracket semifinal, the McKenzie Rebel team sat in the foul ground territory just behind first base. They looked as if they had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

There was frustration, pain, disbelief. In his post-game address, McKenzie coach Lynn Yarbrough put as positive a spin on it as he could, informing the team that this game is over and now it's time to go on, get focused and win out for the 13A title. When he was done, a reticent Parker Jones asked if he could say something.

He paused for a second, seemed to carefully think about what he needed to say, then admonished his team the pick up the pace.

"I'm not very good at this because you all know me as being a funny guy," he said.

Then he talked about the sense of urgency for the seniors, that time is running out. McKenzie bats were dormant for the first five innings, basically. But the Rebels rallied to challenge the Mustangs in the final two innings.

"We're a good team and everybody knows we're a good team," he said. "But what we did in the sixth and seventh innings, we needed to do in the first, second and third innings."

Jones told the team that it needed to reload for a run to Murfreesboro, but he warned that if they didn't play smarter, have more quality at-bats, then summer vacation will come early for these Rebels.

Jones' address, while not very animated, was from the heart and was a manifestation of leadership that has been needed this year from all the seniors. And his address made the back of my neck tingle. I hope what he said sinks in.

The fact is he's right. McKenzie has a good team. It has a target on its back. Everyone brings its A game when they play the Rebels. McKenzie's team has been highly touted as a sure bet to make it to the 'Boro. I have an inkling that maybe these guys early on were too busy reading their press clippings and taking too seriously gossipy sports website posts about how great this team is. But now they know that they are good and that good is as good does.

McKenzie played poorly against Huntingdon the last two times, yet could have won both games. Huntingdon can't be encouraged by that. The Mustangs, while good, are lucky to be 1-2 against the Rebels. And the thing about McKenzie that scares other teams to death is the fact that no matter how far down the Rebels are or how late in the game it is, they are capable of making a late charge to win a game. Huntingdon pitcher Blake Burke did a good job keeping Rebel hitters off balance early, but once he faced them a fourth time, they started rocking him. But mistakes on the bases have been costly. Baserunning blunders may have precluded the Rebs from scoring two runs. Then two errors in the field, one with two outs, resulted in two runs. Take away those four runs and the Rebels win 4-2.

The silver lining is that the Rebels weren't beaten so much by Huntingdon as much as they beat themselves.

The Rebels still have a chance, but they have their work cut out for them. They have to beat Bruceton in an elimination game today. A win today will assure the Rebels of two, perhaps three more games, if the right things happen. A loss today ends the season. Seven innings (perhaps fewer) could determine the Rebels destiny.

But there is a silver lining. The Rebels are capable of much better. They have a good team, deep pitching, solid hitting from anywhere in the batting order. It's easy to write about this stuff and it's easy for people to read it and feel good about themselves. The main thing is, does this team believe it. The tools are there and that's the silver lining, a silver lining that could lead to a gold trophy.

It doesn't matter what I think, or what Parker Jones says. What matters is how the Rebels take care of business on the field.