Carrboro High School running back Brooks Morgan heads for the sidelines in an attempt to find breathing room against an agressive Red Devils defense. Photo by Kirk Ross
By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer
By Wednesday, after Friday’s 47-0 rout at the hands of the Graham Red Devils, head football coach Jason Tudryn was philosophical.
“We’ve put it behind us,†he said. “Everyone understands that this year we’re on a journey.â€
The journey, he said, is about getting better each week.
The Red Devils, he said, “are a very good team.†And while the Jaguars played well for most of the first half, Graham surged ahead with just a few minutes left before halftime, capitalizing on fumbles and a profound lack of tackling.
“We had eight turnovers and missed 52 tackles,†Tudryn said. “I don’t care how good a team you are, you can’t win a game with eight turnovers.â€
With no seniors, plenty of freshmen and a whole new system, the learning curve is steep. There’s also conditioning to be concerned about, especially since Carrboro High is a small school and many players are playing both offense and defense.
“We have a lot of kids going both ways,†Tudryn said. Last week’s game, where the air temperature was around 95 degrees at kick-off and a bit higher on the field, was especially tough on them.
The contest in Graham, more than 20 miles from Carrboro, was officially a home game since the Jaguars did not have access to their own field by game time. This Friday, the team faces Burlington Cummings in Carrboro.
And although it’s the Jaguars’ first time defending their home turf, Tudryn is philosophical about that as well. He said he told the team that when they sit down on Saturday and analyze the tape, he wants to see a lot fewer turnovers and something considerably less than 52 missed tackles.
Editor’s note: Scores and stats on local games can be found on the Carrboro Citizen’s website at carrborocitizen.com/main.