Jimmy Ivey
sports@weatherforddemocrat.com
August 28, 2007 06:09 pm
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SPRINGTOWN — Last season, the Springtown Porcupines came up short in their season opener against the Mineral Wells Rams, losing 14-7.
That loss sent Springtown into a tailspin which took the Porcupines three weeks to recover from.
So finding something to focus on this year was not difficult for Springtown head football coach Brad Turner and the Porcupines.
“We have put a lot of emphasis through the offseason and the spring on starting better,” Turner said. “I think, last year, I really wish, if we had it to do over again, a Week 0 was not a good idea. We had new everything. The kids were so excited, then we had the rain delay and they were not completely ready and it was just an off-night. We did not play well and certainly would have liked to have played that thing again, but that is how it goes.
“I expect our kids to play better in that first game. It does not make or break [Springtown’s season]. If we do great, if we win 2-0 or 100-0, it is not going to make our season and if we lose, it is not going to break our season, but we certainly want to play better in that first one, which will set the tone for the rest of the non-district schedule.”
The non-district schedule starts Friday in Mineral Wells before coming home to host Alvarado, traveling to Burkburnett on Sept. 14 and hosting McKinney Boyd for homecoming on Sept. 21.
“Our non-district schedule is not a killer, but Alvarado and Burkburnett both beat us [last year],’ Turner said. “McKinney Boyd returns everybody and they are going to be a 5A team next realignment, so we just need to play well and take them one at a time.”
Turner feels District 6-4A is going to be, from top to bottom, a very tough district. Fossil Ridge will still be the head of the class, but from there, the difference between No. 2 and No. 7 is minimal.
“Saginaw returns everybody and will be much improved and we beat them in overtime, so they are going to be pretty good,” Turner said. “Boswell and Birdville had tons of seniors. Of course, Birdville returns the quarterback, which with him, you have a chance any night, but they have lost lots. Brewer is going to be better because they started six or seven sophomores [last year].
“Azle got a new coach, but the Azle game is not a normal game [for Springtown], regardless, because of the rivalry. We are going to have a dogfight every week.”
The regular season ends earlier for Springtown than for the rest of District 6-4A, with the Porcupines getting the mandatory bye week for Week 10, the last week of the regular season. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen.
“I am going to say it helps because we don’t have any choice,” Turner said. “Hopefully, that will gives a week to prepare for a bi-district playoff game. That was the plan last year, but one play against Boswell screwed that up. We are going to sell it to the kids as a positive.”
The Porcupines begin their stretch of 10 straight games Friday night in Mineral Wells against the Rams at 7:30 p.m.
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