Having lost their last three games by a combined score of 154-34, coaches and players with South Whidbey High School’s varsity football were looking for anything positive on the big screen Monday.
Reviewing Friday’s 40-0 road loss to Lynden Christian on videotape in one of the high school’s auditorium rooms, team members and the coaches had to concentrate on the details of the game to discover what they were still doing right. Though they generated a season-high 80 yards of passing in the game, the Falcons moved less overall than in any other contest this season, compiling just 165 total yards against the Lyncs defense.
Mixing the good and the bad on the defensive side of the ball, the Falcons gave up fewer points to the Lyncs than they did to either Meridian and Nooksack Valley during the previous two weeks’ games, but the contest was still a blowout shutout for Lynden Christian.
Commenting on an utter lack of holes in the Lyncs defensive line — something that played heavily against the Falcons’ running-oriented game, head coach Mark Hodson said his best runningbacks, juniors Michael Lodell and Michael Osburn, were almost completely contained. Lodell, who has had two 200-plus yard games this season, managed just 71 yards on 18 carries for the night. Still, that was the majority of the team’s 85 total running yards.
“Lynden has traditionally been a rough running game for us,” Hodson said.
At best, South Whidbey spent most of its time between the 20s, never threatening to score. At the same time, the Lyncs picked the Falcons apart, at least in the first half. Going to the air against South Whidbey’s still-developing pass defense, the Lyncs scored three first-half passing touchdowns.
Changing up for the second half, Lynden Christian banged in two more TDs on the ground, then picked off Falcon quarterback Travis Tornga in the third quarter and ran the ball for the game’s final score.
It could have been worse. Late in the game, South Whidbey’s defense started to close the gaps on the Lync running game, with Tornga leading the team with nine tackles on the night, while senior Ben Harris had seven. But in strengthening one defense, the Falcons let another weaken. Several Lync wide receivers made it into the clear in second half plays, only to drop the ball repeatedly.
Throughout the night, the Falcons were hampered on offense by the absence of linebackers Matt Hicks and Michael Greene. Without the protection those veteran players supply, his offense had trouble moving the ball.
Even so, quarterback Tornga had his best passing game of the season, going 5 of 12 for 80 yards. Two of those passes, one for 28 yards and another for 30, went to senior Nick Plastino, who has been taking on a greater role as a wide receiver during the past three weeks.
Hodson also credited Osburn for his solid work as a kick returner and senior Conley White for keeping a grip on the ball during punt returns.
Still, with the score obviously not in their favor, the Falcons have a good deal of work to do. Hodson predicted a hard week of practice leading up Friday night’s road game against Lakewood. That game will be Lakewood’s homecoming which could make it more difficult for South Whidbey to put it into the “win” column.
