Newcastle Bobcats make strides in loss to Jonesboro

 Newcastle played its first game of the season on Saturday against Jonesboro, losing by a score of 58-40. It was a tougher night than anticipated from the Bobcats, but a game that will be vital in seeing how they will respond coming into this next week.

The Newcastle Bobcats came into the game ranked as the No. 20 team in Division I six man, while Jonesboro was ranked at No. 26. I had a chance to catch up with JD Brice, the senior quarterback for the Bobcats about what to expect from them going forward and what the mindset is as a new season has just begun. “I think this year there’s been a lot more focus, something we lacked a little last year. After going undefeated in district last year, just to lose in the first round we realized it’s going to take a lot of hard work and dedication in the offseason to get where we know we should be.

JD wasn’t upset about the game he played against Jonesboro, nor should he be—scoring several touchdowns throughout the night. “It’s still really early in the season. I’m not disappointed with how I performed. Jonesboro had a really good line so I had to throw the ball more than I normally do. “ I asked him what the strength of this team was, stating that it is “definitely our speed. Very few teams can keep up with us on that aspect. “ The Bobcats definitely had some moments where they could’ve capitalized, “ There wasn’t one specific defining moment. It was more of an accumulation of small errors made by the team that got us in the end. We missed out on 10 points from a missed point after kicks, a few dropped passes that would’ve been touchdowns, and a missed opportunity inside the 10. “ JD Brice said.

Brice is the leader of this group of seniors, and he knows that they need him to be as assertive as can be. “I need to be more aggressive on both sides of the ball. Whether it be picking a hole and getting through on offense or stopping the running back and getting to my coverage on defense.”