Watonga head football coach Clint Benway was only slightly disappointed with the outcome of the Friday game against Thomas- Fay- Custer, despite the final 19-12 score.
“We created four turnovers on defense and we scored on defense as well,” Benway said. He tagged penalties as an issue, but noted there were good things happening on both sides of the ball.
“We’ve got to clean up the little things,” he said, “We had a miscue on a punt and missed an extra point.” Things the team has to work on, Benway confessed, included holding on to the ball and pass completion to the right people.
“But it’s like I’ve told them, wins are fun but we are trying to develop young men out here. Do that and we’re going to win games along the way,” Benway said. The life lesson he wanted to teach was that you might not feel good every day, but it was still necessary to get up and go to work every day.
Looking forward to Hobart on the road, Benway recounted that it was a traditional rivalry, many years played on Thanksgiving weekend. “This is a special game for anybody from Watonga, anybody from Hobart. They are a physical ball club with a triple option.”
He also pointed out that Hobart gave Fairview a good run for the money in the season opener, when Fairview has several recent state championships under their belt.
“They (Hobart) moved the ball on them in the first quarter, in the first half really,” Benway added. He finished by saying “This is a game we can win. I feel good about our chances, but we have to take advantage of our opportunities. The players are going to step up and make those plays.”
Linebacker and running back coach Trenn Smith said during Monday practice that the team wasn’t carrying a defeated attitude.
“These guys are having fun, they’re working hard every day and getting better every day,” Smith said.
At that point, Benway could be heard yelling from the practice field.
“This is going to be great, we’re going to get there,” he shouted, putting an exclamation point on the day.