Sometimes football and life is defined by managing opportunity and other times it is defined by managing disappointment. After last Saturday we need to find out if this team can do the latter. Good teams in a perverse way find a way to let losing make them better. I tell our kids never to accept losing; but be tough enough to learn from it. There's no question the Ferrum game got away from us in the 2nd half. When you are minus three in the turnover battle, and give up 6 explosion plays (runs, passes, or returns) that is a double negative that will lead to defeat at any level. Working in the Red Zone on offense and playing deep balls in the passing game on defense will be a big emphasis in practice this week. We only have one more opportunity before conference play begins to smooth out the kinks and correct problems that will keep us competing at Championship level. Last week our team was wet wood; where nobody in any phase stepped up and gave us the spark we needed to compete with a Ferrum team that was playing at a high level. We are plenty capable of winning Saturday versus the Apprentice School, how we win will be important too.
On a personal note, I have already won big once this week. There's a picture of a potential BC recruit for
whoever is sailing this ship in 18 years over to the right. Celebrating your children’s children is a great joy in this life. My daughter Megan who is a BC graduate on Monday toughed out a win for the Clark family, my hope is the Eagles on Saturday will provide the Family Weekend crowd at Bridgewater with a winner too.
Thanks to the Stone Station crew who so graciously hosted the returning players and coaches from the decades of Champions last Saturday prior and after the BC vs. Saint Vincent contest. Although game obligations kept me from the morning gathering, it was a great post game event for me to quickly see so many of the young men who made me such a good coach in that era. More importantly, it was a thrill to see that so many of them were doing so well in their lives beyond football. When you stay in coaching in one place long enough, your former players come back as friends. There is a level of satisfaction there that is tough to describe.
We were fortunate to have won Saturday. Our kids held together when things looked bleak and there was no question that BC was the team on the field that was used to winning. Competing against friends is always tough to do. St. Vincent is one of the few college football teams I actually make a point to see how they do on Saturdays. I think with their QB performing at a high level, they will be a successful Division III team as the year progresses. The line of scrimmage advantage we talked about needing was a push with them at best. Being able to spend time with Coach Colbert and his extended family after the game reminded me of the post games spent together during the those Championships runs. Although we could not both be a “Winner” on Saturday, it was an honor to share a post-game toast led by 81 year old Aunt Marie with the Colbert and Clark clans and all of our former players that were celebrating “Friendship” not victory. Victory and Defeat are both temporary imposters. It is the friendships with fans, fellow coaches, and former players that define the real value in what we both do and have done. Thanks for rallying and continuing to share this great ride with me. 