Week 2 vs Maquoketa

Dylan Gansen (2),  Kyle Kass (67),  Luke Schroeder (52),  Cody Reimer (20)

The last two seasons against Maquoketa have been big games.  In 2010 we needed a win to put ourselves in a position to make the play-offs.  We pulled through with a victory in a last minute nail-biter in front of a roaring home crowd.  Last year we played at Maquoketa for a chance to win the district.  We came up short in a last minute battle, and Maquoketa went on to claim their first district title in quite some time.  We knew this game would be no different and carry the same weight with this year's teams. 

The game started quickly with the Cardinals scoring on their first drive.  After a couple of quick defensive adjustments, we were able to keep them at bay while we got the offense on track.  Dylan Gansen busted a 53 yard sweep into the end zone in the second quarter to even up the score at 7 a piece.  The Cardinals scored one more TD before the half, and it left us trailing by 7 at the break.

The second half turned into a mess with sloppy ball handling.  We put the ball on the ground 7 times total for the game, and turned it over 3 times, all in Maquoketa territory, setting them up for some easy offensive possessions.  Poor tackling compounded with fumbles made for a recipe for disaster in the second half.  Finishing with a 30-7 loss made for a long weekend but a great opportunity to grow from our mistakes.  After films on Saturday morning, the team is ready to address our mistakes and get back to work.  If we learn a page from a win and a book from a loss, then we learned plenty from Friday's experience.  We aren't proud of the outcome, but we are very proud of the effort.

We are still in the process of building depth right now.  With two tackles injured, Kyle Kass and Luke Schroeder, we are anxious to get them back and start building a rotation that can give our guys the needed breaks to sustain a consistently high level of play.  Cody Reimer returns to the line-up this week after being sidelined with a broken arm.  Although it will be tough for Cody to carry the ball for us since he is in a cast, this creates more depth at defensive back and on special teams.  With a district rival in West Delaware to prepare for this Friday, we know the importance of getting better everyday this week.  We are excited to get back in the ring and go toe-to-toe with a quality opponent.