By JON WEBB
The Glasgow Scotties responded to their first loss of the season exactly the way head coach Rick Wood hoped they would.
“We were very disappointed,” Wood said. “If there aren’t tears in a locker room after a loss, then you don’t care. We expect to win every week and we want to win every week.”
Glasgow lost to Allen County 25-7 last Friday in a game that saw the team committing uncharacteristic turnovers deep in the red zone and struggling to establish its usually prolific running attack.
The Scotties will attempt to return its first-three-weeks winning self when they welcome 2-1 LaRue County on Friday.
LaRue comes into the game fresh off an upset of Green County, a game that Wood said “got everyone’s attention around the state.”
Like nearly all of Glasgow’s 2009 opponents, LaRue comes equipped with multiple rushing weapons.
Wood described Ryan Wafford, who rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns in the Green County win, as a “bulldog type of runner,” a back that uses strength and muscle to gain yardage.
“Even though he plays halfback, he runs more like a fullback,” Wood said.
Alex Lee provides LaRue’s speed at the tailback position, and quarterback Jordan Brewer — son of former U of L three-point specialist Boo Brewer — also provides yards out of the backfield.
Wood said his players are getting used to facing teams with multiple weapons, especially after their games against Herrin, Ill. and Allen County.
“That just comes from playing a good schedule,” he said. “It seems like everybody we play this year has a good football team.”
Last week’s game against Allen County marked the first time neither tailback Tavion Parrish nor quarterback Parker Cash gained at least 90 rushing, and Allen’s removal of Glasgow’s run game forced the Scotties to turn to the pass.
Cash responded by going 8-11 for 140 yards, but the performance wasn’t enough to spark the offense.
Wood said the team ultimately aspires to a healthy run/pass balance, but that their goal will always be to establish the run first.
“When we got behind, it kind of dictated that we had to throw more,” Wood said. “The goal is to have a type of balance, but if you notice, the team that runs the football for the most yards usually wins. There are exceptions to that rule, and when there are, turnovers are usually in play.”
Turnovers were definitely in play during the Scottie loss to Allen.
Glasgow fumbled twice in the red zone last Friday. Wood said the team continued their usual regiment of anti-fumbling drills in practice, and shored up any problems along the offensive line to help correct the problem.
Wood said he also hopes Glasgow can control the flow of the game this week to allow themselves — not the other team — to dictate how they will attack offensively.
“Ideally, we’d like to throw the ball 10 to 15 times a game,” he said. “But we want to do it when we want to do it. When don’t want to throw when we have to throw it.”
“We felt like we played hard (against Allen County). It was just one of the first games I felt like we didn’t pay attention to detail enough.”
According to Wood, details won’t be a problem against LaRue, as the team has gone back to focusing on fundamentals in practice in an effort to get themselves back on track.
After LaRue, Glasgow will travel northeast to face powerhouse Green County.
As always, Wood said Glasgow’s “even keel” approach will keep the team focused, preventing them from dwelling on last week’s tough loss and looking ahead to the Sept. 25 date with Green.
“The kids are even keel, man,” Wood said. “We did a better job of going back to fundamentals in practice: blocking and tackling. And hopefully the results will show this week.”
