Despite having to wait an extra week to face the Magnolia State Spartans, the West Texas Warbirds showed that they haven’t lost the rhythm that has led them to an undefeated start as a franchise.
The Warbirds and Spartans were originally scheduled to meet June 4 at the Ector County Coliseum, but the contest was rescheduled to June 11.
It was a close affair through the first half, but the Warbirds gained control by shutting out their opponent through the second half to win 52-26 at the Ector County Coliseum.
“You can’t take wins for granted and I was excited that our team handled some adversity this past Saturday really, really well,” Warbirds head coach Tate Smith said. “Going into halftime the score was closer than what we would want it to be, but we were in front still and had a chance to extend the lead coming out of halftime.”
The Warbirds remain undefeated (5-0) on the campaign after defeating the Spartans.
>> PLAYMAKERS ARE STILL THERE: In each victory, the Warbirds have seen a variety of their playmakers combine to make things tough on the opponent.
That rang true against Magnolia State, especially in the second half when the home team was able to lean on its ground game to go with strong defense.
The Warbirds were able to complete underneath passes to Jordan Gandy, Isiah Scott and Julian Galindo but Trevonte Coleman and Trey Shaw stepped up to make sure the offense stayed in a rhythm on the ground.
“It was really good for our offense, our offensive line loved it because they were running the football like an outdoor game and they were getting all the credit,” Smith said. “Overall not a bad performance for us, looking back to the first half I wish we could have cleaned some stuff up, second half I thought we played really, really well.”
>> ORGANIZATION HELPS: Smith knows how important having a solid base has been to his team throughout its winning streak.
That applies in both the coaching staff and roster.
Having consistency on the field has helped the Warbirds execute their game plan and find familiarity to get through the challenges presented this season.
“It’s always good when you get a good, cohesive group together that understands exactly what the process is and understands exactly what we’re wanting as a coaching staff for this organization to be successful week in and week out,” Smith said.
The head coach has made culture a big part of the team’s structure and he works to make sure new additions understand the importance of that aspect before they take the field.
>> MORE TIME OFF: When a team is given time away from regular action, two things can happen.
Players rest up to recover from injuries, or they lose the rhythm they have worked so hard to build up.
Smith said he isn’t too fond of open weeks because of how long it takes teams to get back in sync.
He noticed that when the Warbirds faced the Spartans, seeing his team get back to full strength later in the contest.
Like many Odessans, the team is also faced with having to work around the issues that came with the recent water line break in the city.
“Working with our trainer, working with our coaching staff and making sure that we’re doing everything the right way to take care of that end where our guys are staying hydrated and everything,” Smith said. “That’s our main concern right now and taking it day by day.”
The Warbirds will have another open date this week before facing the Texas Jets at 7:05 p.m. June 25 at the Ector County Coliseum.
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
