The Cardinals ran into a 4-3 Warrensburg squad on Friday night who, in their prior two weeks, were coming off of a close 42-41 loss to Odessa and a narrow, yet impressive 38-31 victory at Pleasant Hill in week 7.
The Tigers of Warrensburg took out some frustration on the Cardinals at they cruised, handing Clinton a 57-6 loss, sending their season record to 2-6 with one regular season game remaining on the schedule.
We caught up with Clinton coach Todd Mowery after the game . . .
OS: What could you have done better to be more competitive on Friday night?
TM: We abandoned most of our fundamentals. Missed blocks offensively and poor tackling defensively were a big issue. So many plays offensively were stopped because we missed one block. No matter how good your team is, fundamentals have to be executed.
OS: How were you working to improve this week?
TM: Focus on the little things. Without execution of fundamentals, it's hard to do anything else effectively. We've constantly been preaching these issues and it has to be fixed going into this week and post season next week.
OS: Are the boys in a winning mindset for this upcoming Friday?
TM: I believe they are. Center is down from a year ago and have had their struggles this season. We know we can win this game if we play to our abilities. We have made it clear that Center, like most of our conference teams, are bigger and faster than us. So we have to play to our fullest potential. It's not going to be an easy game like we've heard many people talk about. We are circled on their schedule, just like they are circled on ours.
OS: What are you looking forward to about next game?
TM: It's senior night. Our seniors have had a rough 4 years so watching them get a win on Friday would be huge. Outside of that, I don't believe we have beaten Center in 11 or 12 years. It could also be our first MRVC conference win since being in the conference. Overall, I'm just looking forward to seeing us play our best game yet.
OS: How did JV do last night? How are they doing overall?
TM: Unfortunately they took a close loss 22-18. They didn't have their best game last night but have played well this year with only two losses.
OS: Is JV looking good for next years varsity team?
TM: I believe they are. We will be junior heavy and will look to fill some key positions.
OS: Anything to add, Coach?
TM: We have had so many firsts this year and look to continue that trend moving forward. I hope this senior class will be remembered as the foundation of what's to come.
The Cardinals will host Center this Friday night. That kickoff is slated for 7:00 PM.
Next Friday, week 10, will be the opening round of the Class 3 District 7 tournament.
Currently, the Cardinals sit in the number 6 spot in the district standings.
A complete list of those standings, with their record and points, is below:
Odessa (7-1), 48.59
Oak Grove (6-2), 43.55
California (6-2), 40.43
Knob Noster (5-3), 34.51
Boonville (2-6), 29.43
Clinton (2-6), 25.77
SCA (2-6), 25.68
