COWBOYS : Cowboys hope to bounce back against tough Southwest team
Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2008
ANDY SHUPE Northwest Arkansas Times Woodland Junior High running back Michael Mahler (40 ) leaps while carrying the ball through the Bentonville Gold defense during the first half of play Sept. 18 at Harmon Field.
Rivals rarely need to manufacture motivation.
Woodland doesn’t need a reminder of what happened last week to fuel its competitive fire for today’s clash against longtime nemesis Springdale Southwest.
Woodland is reeling off a 13-10 loss to Bentonville Gold, the Cowboys’ first conference loss. Southwest sits firmly on its first-place pedestal, fresh off a 28-7 demolition of Ramay.
“ When we start, our goal is always a conference championship and we always believe we can win it, ” Woodland coach Bobby Crockett said. “ But it’s very difficult to win a championship in this league with two losses. There are so many good teams in this conference that you never know. We don’t want to call this game a must-win but it’s important for us to compete and do well to reach our ulti- mate goal. ”
Crockett’s primary objective in last week’s contest was to achieve more consistency on offense. Crockett played three different quarterbacks, including eighth grader Austin Allen, in an attempt to ignite the Cowboys offensive production. Ninth graders Tyler Tuck, who started, and Matt McEver also logged snaps under center.
The Cowboys ’ defense, though, outscored their offense, 7-3. Crockett said the offensive gameplan is sound but inconsistency has plagued the offensive side.
“ It’s always a breakdown, a guy here or a guy there, ” Crockett said. “ We’re not adjusting very well throughout the game. It’s not one particular area, just one person here or there not executing the gameplan. We’ve got to be able to execute; that’s the key. We like our gameplan. We just have to make plays in games. ”
Crockett said all three quarterbacks will continue to share the signal-calling chores. Crockett said the trio has collectively worked to remedy the Cowboys ’ offensive woes. But Crockett also added that having three QBs could disrupt the offensive continuity, which could be the culprit in Woodland’s offensive deficiencies.
“ I think it’s difficult, splitting time with three quarterbacks and that could be part of why we’re inconsistent on offense, ” Crockett said. “ We’d like to settle in on one quarterback once we find out what they do best for us. Maybe in the next few weeks, we can do that. But right now they’re all three doing good things and all three will still see time. No one has stood out yet. ”
The Cowboys ’ defense has been a standout unit so far, carrying the load this season. Woodland’s defense is allowing an average of 6. 7 points per game this year. The defense was responsible for scoring seven of the Cowboys’ 10 points but surrendered a late touchdown drive that allowed Gold to sneak out with a three-point win.
“ Our defense has been our mainstay and we’re doing a good job defensively, ” Crockett said. “ We just had a breakdown or two late but we’re getting those things corrected. We’ll be fine on defense. ”
Cowboy cornerback McEver picked off a pass and bolted 55 yards to paydirt for the lone touchdown against Gold. Crockett also praised the play of middle linebacker Kampbell Walker, defensive ends Tim Cavell and Tyler Tipton and linebacker / defensive lineman Bobby Stinson.
“ Matt’s a tough kid who’s been very solid in the secondary, ” Crockett said. “ Kampbell Walker’s has also done a good job. He’s instinctive and does a great job of reading the quarterback’s eyes and that’s been a plus. Tim Cavell and Tyler Tipton have played very well at defensive end, too. Bobby Stinson is very versatile has also been a mainstay on defense for us. ”
The defense will need to boost its collective production against one the conference’s top offensive units. Southwest is averaging 27. 3 points per game, second in the league only to Springdale Central.
“ Southwest is very athletic, ” Crockett said. “ Their quarterback throws it pretty good and his feet worry you because he can run the ball well. They’ve got some good kids in the backfield and a real quick receiver. Trying to slow their offense is going to be a major chore. ”
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
