Bobcats lose to Eagles
Adam Kay took the ball up the field for 45 yards in one of the Bobcats first plays.
Christopher Eriksson and Dan Taron protect quarterback Tanner Coon as he looks for his man to throw the ball downfield.
Dan Taron blocks against a Fairfield offensive lineman.
Darian Haberlock doesn't let a man from Fairfield disrupt him as he psuhes past the opponent and looks for an opening to move the ball downfield.
Quarterback Tanner Coon takes the ball downfield in a game agaist Fairfield on Staurday.
The Superior Bobcats came up against Fairfield last Saturday in a quarterfinal playoff game on Saturday. As they have all season, the Bobcats trailed the team into the second, third and fourth quarters, but this time they weren’t able to clench a win. They lost 54-21.
Going into the game, the Bobcats had RJ Frederick on the sidelines and Matt Campbell was playing in a cast. However, Coach Dan Lucier wasn’t worried.
“We knew what we had to do to win and we knew we were up against a really good team,” Lucier said. “It turned out they were too much for us to get through.”
The first quarter was rough for the Bobcats and the team was plagued by dropped passes.
“We had ten or twelve dropped passes for the entire afternoon and they sure didn’t help us,” Lucier said. “We struggled in some areas. We also had a hard time tackling their quarter back and running back. I think Fairfield’s biggest strength is with their size and they played hard. We knew we would have to play even harder and everybody would have to have a perfect game.”
The team has talked about being the ultimate competitor all season and Lucier said that on Saturday there were guys that did that and others who didn’t.
“We’re only as good as our weakest link,” Lucier said. “Our younger players are really good football players, but this was a big game for them and I think some of them may have been intimidated. But the biggest thing is that they gave it their best efforts. Their effort was great.”
The Bobcats left the first quarter down, 0-14. In the second quarter, the team gained some momentum and as Lucier put it everything was working for about five or six minutes. Passes flew through the air, moving the ball down field. First, Adam Kay caught a seven yard pass from Tanner Coon and took it to the end zone. Then, Kay caught an eight yard pass from Coon and scored.
“The second quarter was probably our best quarter,” Lucier said. “I got to give credit to Fairfield. They are a good team, well coached. They’ve been to the state championship game four times in the last five years and I can see why.”
Catching a 21 yard pass from Coon, Christofer Eriksson scored the final touchdown for the Bobcats and Coon and Kay teamed up to net the conversion points during the final quarter. The Bobcats lost the game, but Lucier said that he feels they had an exceptional season.
“I think our year was exceptionally successful,” Lucier said. “We were picked to finish four out of five and we surpassed that. We knew we could be better than that. We beat Loyola for the district championship, which was huge. Our season was excellent. We played above and beyond.”
Lucier said that for him the season is always a journey. He said that some of the best highlights are “just being with the guys.” He said that he gives praise to his coaching staff, Charlie Crabb, Jeff Schultz, Wayne Stanley and Allan Labbe.
“We’ve been together a long time and they are great coaches. I’m privileged to be a part of what they do with the kids,” Lucier said. “We have a pretty darn good team. We also stress the life skills so it’s more than a football game. We learn how to live life, which is up and down just like a season and we’re teaching things that carry into how to live life.”
Lucier said that overall he felt the team had a great season not only at the varsity level, but at the junior-varsity level as well.
“Our seniors had a great finish,” Lucier said. “I just look forward to them moving out into the world and into the workforce to be citizens leading in their communities. I’m expecting great things from the younger kids in the future.”