Two consecutive weeks, two consecutive wins for Compass Academy as the Cougars prepare for district play against Alpine this week.
The Cougars will be at home once again when they face Alpine (1-3) to begin District 1-3A Division II action in a 7:30 p.m. contest Friday at Ratliff Stadium.
Compass Academy (2-2) is currently riding a two-game winning streak having won contests against Iraan and Water Valley in last Saturday’s 27-24 win at home.
“Our kids came out and we were a little bit sluggish early on, but then we got going,” Compass Academy head coach Floyd White said. “We weren’t worried about the heat or anything like that. It was us learning how to execute on a regular basis and we were able to hold down a scrappy Water Valley team.”
For the Cougars, it was a promising sign for their offense who just one week prior were held to seven points in their low-scoring win over Iraan.
“Every week, coach Joe Moore gets to work with those guys and for us, it’s all about our process and what we do each week,” White said. “This week, we were able to just make what we worked on all week click. The week before, we were so close. We were a block or two away or a catch or two away from making the big plays and we were able to reward ourselves this week. That’s the great thing to watch. We watched them gain the confidence.”
However, the Cougars now must deal with a short week as Compass Academy has one less day to prepare for Alpine.
The Bucks are coming off a 45-18 loss to Sonora last week on the road.
“For the kids, it’s not having that extra day of rest but for us in the coaching mindset, it’s a shortened week but you prepare on Sundays anyway,” White said. “It’s not much of a change. It’s more from a player standpoint of not having that extra day of rest. It can make a difference.”
Still, White and his players are excited to begin district play.
“This is what you do all your preparation for,” White said. “In the coaching mindset, you know those other games are great to win but they don’t really count for anything (playoff-wise) but they help you gain your confidence to grow. We have a tough Alpine team coming in … and they’re better than what their record shows. They’re tough and gritty. It’s going to take us to do what we can to the best of our ability.”
>> PROMISING START: The Midland Bulldogs remain undefeated in the nondistrict portion of the season.
The undefeated start has given Midland High plenty of confidence, but head coach Thad Fortune and his players are wanting more.
“Anytime you experience this kind of start, it’s always rewarding and gratifying,” Fortune said. “I’m excited for the guys. That’s why you put in all the work. With that said, we have to continue to improve. … We’re excited to be in this spot, but also, there’s no glory in peaking now. There are things we need to clean up and quit having self-inflicted wounds and get better. We just need to get better.”
The Bulldogs (4-0) are coming off a 36-8 win over a Lubbock Monterey team that has already surpassed expectations this season last Friday at Astound Broadband Stadium.
Monterey (2-2) is coming off a winless season.
“Going into the game, Monterey is much-improved,” Fortune said. “They’ve really shifted their focus to a more run-centric offense than in previous years. They have some good backs. We knew they’d have a good plan. The combination of them staying on the field and having a good scheme defensively, we knew it was going to be a tough game. We were fortunate to make some tough plays.”
The Bulldogs will get one more nondistrict game as they prepare to face El Paso Andress (1-3) at 6 p.m. Friday on the road.
>> RIVALRY WIN: The Seminole Indians had the last laugh as they got a 34-26 win at Andrews to remain undefeated to start the season.
The Indians (4-0) will face Pecos (2-1) at Wigwam Stadium at 7 p.m. this Friday.
>> SLOWING DOWN: The Midland Legacy Rebels saw their undefeated start to the season come to a crashing halt with a 62-31 loss to Cibolo Steele last Friday on the road.
The Rebels (3-1) will face Converse Judson (1-3) at 7 p.m. Friday at Astound Broadband Stadium.
