After a win at home last week, the Cardinals tried to string together two in a row for the first time this season, but that wasn't in the plans of the Harrisonville Wildcats as Clinton was plucked by a 40-7 final last Friday night.
Like past games, the defense fought early but were unable to sustain the same amount of play for the full quarters.
We caught up with Clinton head coach Todd Mowery following the game . . .
OS: How did football go on Friday?
TM: We started out really well. Their run game was the big question mark as far as, can we stop it? We were very efficient outside of a couple of big plays. We showed that we could stop their offense on multiple occasions. We have to finish games the way we start them. This has been one of our biggest concerns throughout the year. We're heading in the right direction, we're just not there yet.
OS: Where did you fall short?
TM: Finishing. We constantly talk about how tough this conference is and that you can't afford to take a single play off. It takes all eleven on the field for 48 minutes, Not 36.
OS: Where did you perform well?
TM: Our D Line has been the backbone of our defense this year. That proved to be true again on Friday as they shut down Harrisonvilles running attack on multiple occasions.
OS: How was their sportsmanship?
TM: Sportsmanship has been great. Emotions shine through in tough moments but that's something we understand and our boys have done a great job at keeping those emotions in check. Have we had a few bad moments, of course, we all have, but they've always gotten back on track. We tell them to let their play do the talking for them.
OS: How many games are left before the close of the season?
TM: We have two regular season games left. This week @Warrensburg and next week @Home vs Center. Playoffs will start the week after Center. We will most likely be away for week 1 and anything after will be determined on the outcome. At that point everyone is 0-0 and it's win or go home.
OS: What are you looking forward to as the season closes?
TM: I'm looking to see how we can close this year out. We've had so many positives on and off the field and I believe we've yet to play our best football. That'll be a testament to what we've talked about as far as how our attitudes and culture have changed since June. I feel we're in a very good spot as an entire program but how we finish will help determine how we start next year.
OS: How many seniors are you graduating?
TM: We only have 8 seniors leaving us this year. Their size and ability will be hard to replace. In my opinion, this group of seniors deserves a little more attention than most senior classes. They've had a rough 4 years. But what's important here is how they've faced so much adversity and have always come back. That alone says a lot for their character as young men.
OS: Anything else coach?
TM: I wanted to also give a shoutout to our JV team. They have had a great season so far and they rarely get put in the spotlight. They are currently sitting at 5-1 with two games left to play. JV players actually serve a double role in terms of preparation. Tuesday-Friday they run the opposing teams game scheme in order to prepare the Varsity for Friday Night. They then turn around and flip the switch to our scheme on Monday's and have done a great job in both aspects.
