Vardaman’s comeback attempt fell just short on Friday as the Rams fell to Smithville 27-21.
The Rams (1-4, 1-2 Region 2-1A) fell behind in the first quarter in a back and forth game but ultimately fell to the Seminoles who have won six straight in the series. Smithville entered the game winless on the season, but according to Pugh, that record was misleading.
“Watching their film leading up to the game, we knew that they weren’t a bad football team,” Pugh said. “They had to quarantine for the first two weeks. Their first game was against Biggersville who is one of the best teams in 1A this year, and they made a lot of mistakes against Hamilton. So, we knew they were better than maybe what people on the outside would think.”
As far as the game itself, Pugh stated that the Rams’ issues boiled down to not making plays when it counted and committing too many penalties.
“It was a hard-fought game on both sides, but we just made too many mistakes,” Pugh said. “They made the plays when they were there to be made, and when we made plays, it seemed like we always had a penalty or something that brought it back. It was a hard film to watch, for sure.”
On Friday, news broke that Okolona, the Rams’ next opponent, had a player test positive for COVID-19, which led many to believe the Chieftains’ next two games would result in forfeits due to cancellation. While Okolona’s game against Hamilton on Friday was canceled, Vardaman’s game against the Chieftains is still on for this week, as of now.
“I’m not sure of all the details, but I’m pretty sure they had one case,” Pugh said. “They went back and looked at their procedures, and I think as long as nobody else gets it by the end of the day [Monday], we’ll be able to play this week. We’re still on as of now.”
Barring any unforeseen circumstances involving COVID-19, Vardaman and Okolona will play on Thursday this week due to the threat of inclement weather on Friday, and Pugh is preparing for a challenge from the Chieftains.
“They’re a physical, fast, big football team,” Pugh said. “They were young last year, so a lot of the guys they have played last year. We had a fairly competitive game against them last year, and they definitely present their unique set of challenges for us.”
Although Vardaman led last year’s game at Okolona at times, the Chieftains ultimately secured a 32-19 win last season.
Kickoff between Vardaman and Okolona is scheduled for 7 p.m.