With a lot of pressure beading off of his back, Straughn junior quarterback Rollin Kinsaul relaxed and just played Tiger football last week.

During his 49-21 region victory over Opp, Kinsaul accounted for five touchdowns — two passing and three rushing — and earned this week’s Star-News Player of the Week honors.

Kinsaul said the team knew what they were playing for — a first-round home game to start the Class 3A state playoffs. The junior QB was Player of the Week after the Tigers’ 40-22 victory over Bayside Academy.

“It would’ve been tougher to play the first round going to Fayette County,” Kinsaul said. “We all understood that. We were playing for the right reasons.”

Kinsaul gave all of the credit for his success to the big boys up front, especially the offensive and defensive lines.

“For another really spectacular game as an offense, we played really well, I thought,” he said. “Our coaches had a good scheme again. We played Straughn football.”

The definition of Straughn football is playing hard for four quarters, Kinsaul said.

“It’s just hard-nosed football,” he said. “Not fearing anything at all; just going out for four quarters. That’s the way we played.

“The previous Friday (in a 42-7 loss to T.R. Miller), we didn’t do that,” he said.

Kinsaul finished 10-of-14 for 137 yards and two scores in the air, and rushed for 40 yards on 10 carries with three TDs on the ground. He rushed into the end zone from 1, 12 and 3 yards; and threw from 12 and 32 yards in the air.

Kinsaul’s first TD came with 1:04 left in the first quarter after a 73-yard drive down the field. His second came on a 12-yard TD pass to Brice Scott to put the Tigers ahead 14-7 in the second quarter.

After another long, 71-yard drive, Kinsaul finished it with a 32-yard pass to Scott with 54 seconds in the first half to give SHS a big 21-13 lead at halftime.

“I was 10-of-14, which was a lot better than throwing three picks the week before at Miller,” he said. “That’s what I really worked on last week during practice, not getting out of the pocket, but finding my receivers at the right time.”

Kinsaul said his rushing touchdowns wouldn’t have come if it weren’t for running backs Devin Scott and Daryl George.

One such running score came with 9:31 left in the third quarter to really put the game away. Kinsaul rushed in from 12 yards on a second and six play after driving the majority of the field. With the extra point from Austin Worley, who made all of his PATs, the Tigers were up 28-13.

“I accounted for those touchdowns, but I really shouldn’t,” he said. “Devin Scott had one of his best games all year. Daryl (George) as well played really well.

“I got the credit for the touchdown, but I don’t deserve the credit for the drive that happened before that touchdown,” he said. “I really want to credit my offensive line and Devin Scott, too.”

Straughn has an open week this week before the first-round game against Northside at home on Fri., Nov. 8.

Kinsaul said the focus this week will be just on the team.

“We know Northside is the first team we play, but this week, (SHS head football) coach (Trent) Taylor told us we were really going to work on us,” he said.