Football Team 'Wins Late in Games'; Proves Strength
Avis McGovern
Although the season is coming to an end, the football team is nowhere near done improving. Their most recent win against Bluffton (28-21) gave the team a chance to raise the bar.
“We are a young team that is still trying to put the pieces together and build a foundation for this program to be the best in the conference,” said Tyler Pruitt, a junior RB. The team is currently holding a 3-4 record, but is making changes to work toward improving that. “If the entire team can play with a high level of intensity and be on the same page to execute plays, we have a good chance at doing well in the conference games,” Pruitt said.
Coach Vince Cashdollar, offensive coordinator/offensive line, says the team is using the possibility to finish as a top team in conference as motivation. “We are still playing meaningful games at Manchester University in the late October, which makes this team different from teams in the past,” he said. “Our team has continued to find a way to win late in games by our toughness and we will continue to emphasize that throughout our season and program.”
The defensive line is working on play as a unit in games. “On most plays, the defense is giving 100 percent of effort, but the plays where we don’t are the ones that hurt us most on the field,” said Mitchell Oskam, a senior DB.
The offensive line is striving toward spreading out the ball more on the field to open up more opportunities to score. According to Keegan Schimmelman, a freshman K/P, the team is working towards completing the drives on the field and scoring more. “We are also working to establish more touchdowns and less turnovers,” he said.
The Spartans head into conference play with intentions of being a top team in the conference tournament. “The next game for us is very important for us,” said Nate Jensesn, head coach. “Our main priority is to focus on ourselves instead of our opponent. We’ve had our wins and losses, but in our next game we plan to focus on the game plan and win.”
The team looks to be 1-0 this week as the Spartans compete at Earlham College on Saturday, Oct. 28.