Goodwin: 'Riders still have plenty of fight left
(Editor's Note: Center quarterback player Ryan Goodwin has allowed PineyWoodsSports.com to once again go 'inside the huddle' and give fans an up-close-and-personal look at the Roughrider football team in 2010. Goodwin is a senior this season. His column will run twice a week throughout football season.)
Last week we didn't make the big plays we needed to, but that doesn't mean we are trying to make big plays. "You don't have to make a big play or score a touchdown on every play," Coach (Kevin) Goodwin told us this week at practice. "You only have to get four yards. What happens when we get four yards three plays in a row? We move the chains. That's all we have to do. If we do that then the big plays will come."
We also know that we have to be able to make plays when we need to. Not big plays, just plays that will keep a drive going or stop them on 3rd-and-long so we can force a punt. Those types of plays are all about heart. If you make up your mind that they aren't going to stop you from getting a first down then they won’t.
Another thing we have to do is play hard for 48 minutes. We can't take a quarter or two quarters off like we did last Friday and then try in the last minute to hold them or try to come back. We should never let a game be that close.
"We don't need a star on defense," Coach (Mickey) Smith, our defensive coordinator told us today at practice. "What we need are 11 players that do what they are supposed to do on every play. You don't need to be a star to do that."
He has told the defense every week that if one player misses an assignment on defense it could cost us a touchdown. That means we have to be ready to get lined up as fast as possible and not miss any tackles.
A football team is an army, and armies fall apart if they continuously lose. It's their nature. When an army is defeated they have two choices. They can tuck tail and run or they can rally and fight back.
We lost last week, but we have rallied. Now we are ready to march on our opponents again. We are an army and the banner we fight under is the banner of the Roughriders! We will not back down. We will not quit. We will win.
Thanks for the support 'Rider fans!