Despite a lackluster start, Calhoun City secured a 24-7 win over Eupora on Thursday night.
The Wildcats (4-2, 2-0 Region 2-2A) had strong performances from running back Jaylen Artberry and quarterback Jackson Lee who both eclipsed the century mark in total yards on the night. Wildcat head coach M.D. Jennings states that Calhoun City had to deal with some injury issues against Eupora and shift some players around as a result.
“We got off to a slow start,” Jennings said. “Had some turnovers and had a lot of new faces on the field. Not making any excuses, the guys out there have to execute the game plan, but we’ve got to keep coaching the kids up and hold them accountable.”
Despite not playing their best ball, Jennings said that his ultimate goal of the night was accomplished: gaining a win.
“Our main goal going into last week was to be 2-0 in the region,” Jennings said. “That’s what I told the kids: it’s better to play bad and win than be coming in on Monday after a loss. At the end of the day, we accomplished our goal, and we’ve just got to clean up some things and move forward in the right direction.”
This week, Calhoun City travels to Bruce for this year’s installment of the Skuna River Rivalry. Calhoun City has won every meeting in the rivalry since 2005, accounting for 13-straight victories. The two teams did not meet in 2007 and 2008.
“With our kids, it’s business as usual,” Jennings said. “I tell the kids if we focus on ourselves, no matter who the opponent is, everything will go in our favor. Our kids look forward to playing Bruce every year, but we’ve just got to take care of ourselves.”
In preparing for rival Bruce this week, Jennings is focusing on healing his roster and aiming for another division win.
“Hopefully, everyone’s healthy, and we can get everybody back in the positions they’re comfortable playing,” Jennings said.
Kickoff between Calhoun City and Bruce is slated for 7 p.m. at Trojan Field.