Bobcats D saves the day

                All year long, coach Matt Garno and his staff have been telling the Whiteford Bobcats that football is mental as much as it is physical.

                After Friday’s hard-fought 15-14 win over Sand Creek, Garno believes his team is getting the picture.

                Whiteford (3-1, 2-0 TCC) came back from an 8-0 third quarter-deficit  to beat Sand Creek (1-3, 1-1 TCC). The game featured several big defensive stops, including two goal-line stands. The biggest stop of the game came after Sand Creek had scored to cut Whiteford’s lead to 15-14. The Aggies attempted to rush the ball in for two points.

George Vergote met the runner first, and then Grant Track wrapped him up. In an an instant, five Bobcats were on the ball, and Whiteford maintained the slimmest of leads with three minutes to play.

“It was (Sand Creek’s) best play all night and I noticed we were adjusting to the formation incorrectly so we made the adjustment just a few plays before. From there, the guys did a great job of getting off blocks and pursuing,” said Garno, who said his defense has been a strength. “We really work on having the guys play together with spirit. A lot of different guys stepped up in key situations because they are learning to trust the guy next to them to do their job. I think that’s what makes the defense play well.”

The Aggies took a 2-0 lead on first-half safety and then made it 8-0 in the third quarter.  Whiteford got on the board when Cody Donnelly (28 carries, 89 yards) rushed in for a touchdown. Gabe LaRoy connected with Grant Track for the two-point conversion.

On the next possession, Kody Baker scooped up a loose ball and Whiteford had the ball deep in Sand Creek territory. Donnelly gave Whiteford a 15-8 lead with a one-yard TD rush. The extra-point kick failed.

The Bobcats limited the Aggies to 113 yards rushing. Garno had good things to say about sophomore defensive lineman George Vergote.

“Even though he is only a sophomore and weighs about 160 pounds, he is our emotional leader. He puts himself out there in terms of spirit, which is not common for a guy his age,” Garno said. “I think the guys really respect that and rally around him. He makes the game fun.”

Friday’s win makes this week’s game against Clinton (1-3, 1-1 TCC) even bigger.  A win would put the Bobcats in a pretty good place after games against two of the tougher TCC teams. Garno isn’t looking that far ahead, however.

“Clinton is a very good team that has faced a tough opening schedule. It would be foolish to look ahead at where we could be. We still have a lot to improve on and we have to focus on improving our teamwork and preparing for what Clinton will show us Friday night,” he said.