Dan McSurley is more than pleased with a 35-7 win over Goshen last week. Any win is a good win.
But within that victory, the veteran coach knows there are moments that may not be costly at the time but at some point could derail a successful season.
“The biggest concern was leaving points off the board with costly penalties and a turnover,” said McSurley.
The Falcons had nine penalties for 80 yards against Goshen and lost a fumble. Again, not a big deal last week but in the playoffs, those numbers could come back to haunt Massie.
This week, the Falcons (5-1) play winless Western Brown.
McSurley said the Falcons are getting healthy. Kody Zantene made his season debut at quarterback last week.
Tate Olberding was solid in Zantene’s absence but the sophomore gives Massie a run-pass threat on offense while Olberding provides a dominant receiving option. Garrett Trampler also returned to the lineup and was explosive on offense and special teams.
“Having Zantene back is kind of like starting the year over,” McSurley said. “Getting Tate and Garrett back in the receiving mix should add another dimension to our team.
“Throw Devon Noble in there and we have some explosive offensive threats.”
Not to be forgotten is the ever-present running game with Brendan Lamb, Carson Vanhoose and Robby Frederick pounding teams to the tune of 354 yards a game.
Speaking of numbers, Massie has given up an average of 187 yards a game, which might not seem formidable but considering the schedule it’s pretty darn good.
“I thought our defense played lights out (against Goshen),” said McSurley. “Their only scorecame off a couple penalties that kep the drive alive.
“Right now the entire defense is playing fast. Getting some players back and getting healthy should only help down the road.”
