Wilmington’s 49-28 loss to Western Brown last week was a microcosm of the 2021 season.
Played well, dominant at times.
Played poorly at other times. Made mistakes that helped the Broncos pull away.
“We can’t seem to get out of our own way right now,” WHS head coach Scott Killen said. “Football is a game that has to be played both mentally and physically and the mental side of the game has been a thorn in our side all season. When we do things correctly, we have been able to play some good football.”
The Hurricane must limit, likely eliminate, its mistakes this week for an opportunity to upset state-ranked Clinton-Massie. The Falcons and Hurricane will kick things off 7 p.m. Friday at Alumni Field.
Massie has put 70 and 73 points on the scoreboard the past two weeks. The defense, though, gave up 34 last week and 35 the week before. Around those outcomes, the Falcons have given up just 53 points in six games.
“Their defense is very fundamentally sound and they don’t make many mistakes,” Killen said. “They are going to make you drive the field and not make a mistake.”
Clinton-Massie has dominated Wilmington since the two teams joined the SBAAC, winning four straight matchups. Two games prior to that were 23-21 and 29-28 Massie wins when the teams were part of the South Central Ohio League. In all, the Falcons have won the last seven games between the two teams.
The 2021 season has not been what Killen or the Hurricane faithful had hoped in terms of wins and losses. At the end of the day, the things that make someone successful in their given field will help them in each aspect of their life. The WHS coach hopes his team can execute that ideal Friday night and beyond.
”Little things matter,” said Killen. “Hopefully, the players understand that discipline in life will play a role in how successful they are when they walk away from the game. Every day they have a choice to get better or stay the same. Successful people wake up and attack the challenges ahead of them and will look themselves in the mirror and answer to the person staring back at them. That person will let them know if they were successful that day.”
