Cubs still looking for first win after 70-7 loss
The Olney High School football team will look to rebound from its 70-7 loss to Haskell as they head on the road for their final dress rehearsal before district play.
While Haskell coach Brady Benton praised his team for its consistency, the Cubs inconsistent play quickly put them behind.
“We’ve been preaching consistency,” Benton said. “We’re talented enough to win football games, but we haven’t been consistent enough to win football games. Tonight, our hard work paid off ... Olney always plays hard. Mark Young (Olney football coach) does a great job with those kids. Those kids are tough kids. We’ve played them all five years I’ve been here and they always give us a fight.”
Haskell capitalized on a few errant Cubs’ plays, jumping out to a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. While the Indians struck paydirt on their first drive, the Cubs’ first drive resulted in a punt after an errant snap led to the first of seven fumbles, which left the Cubs in a 2-and-long situation as they attempted to mount a drive near their own goal line.
A short punt allowed the Indians to start their next drive from the Cubs’ 33-yard line, which resulted in another touchdown soon after. A Cubs interception, the first of seven turnovers that night, led to another short touchdown drive. A 15-yard rush by Haskell senior quarterback Alex Roewe, who rushed for three touchdowns, 191 yards on 11 carries and completed 13 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns, put the Indians up 28-0 early in the second quarter.
Although bested by nine touchdowns, the Cubs did have a few highlights Friday night. Junior quarterback John Montgomery showed flashes of talent on offense, defense and special teams, picking up 264 total yards with 126 of those coming from nimble runs. A 45-yard Montgomery run setup a 6-yard touchdown by Montgomery, which was the Cubs only score of the evening.
“I try to avoid tackles as much as I can ... I’ve been playing wide receiver for most of my life so I’m used to running the ball,” Montgomery said.
What’s next
Although facing a team with a 1-3 record, Friday’s game against Stamford will be another tough matchup for the Cubs. The Bulldogs’ only win this season came when they defeated Haskell 35-26. Young said the Bulldogs’ complex schemes on offense and defense make them a hard team prepare for.
“They play about 37 different formations,” Young said. “They run counter, zone and toss and will try and throw the football ... They run a 3-3 stack and vary the nose guard (on defense) and run a little stunt game. They are good and have a lot of skill guys. They are big up front and will come at you.”
With injuries piling up, Young said he continues to rely on his young, inexperienced players to step fill the void each week. After practice he reminded his team nothing really matters until the Cubs open district play Oct. 7 against Windthorst (1-4). He hopes to have a few players fully recovered from their injuries but until then he must continue relying on his younger players and hopefully come out of Friday’s game unscathed.
“We’re in a bad situation right now,” Young said. “We have freshmen starting. We have kids that have never played football before starting. As long as they are fighting, I can’t complain.”
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.