Getting offensive: EHS looking for points against T-High
By Michael Ashford
Thursday, September 6, 2007
A week after he called Emporia High’s offensive performance “embarrassing” in the Spartans’ season-opening 28-10 loss to Blue Valley West, EHS coach Bill Lowe is ready to put the blame on somebody: himself.
“An old coach once told me, ‘If you don’t like the product on the field, you better take a look in the mirror,’” Lowe said. “I’ll take the blame for not having us prepared and not doing the right things. It started with me.”
The product Emporia High put on the field last Thursday was one that barely resembled the often-powerful offense the Spartans fielded at times last season, and perhaps nowhere was this more evident than in the ground game.
EHS rushed for just 92 yards on a whopping 50 carries against the Jaguars, averaging just 1.84 yards per carry. By contrast, in last year’s season opener against Blue Valley West, the Spartans gained 230 yards on the ground on 51 carries, or 4.51 yards per carry.
The lack of a running game caused the Spartans to shift their gameplan, especially after falling behind by as much as 28-3.
“They (West) sent guys all night, and it just seemed like there was nothing there,” said senior running back Edd Noonan, who had 93 yards rushing in the opener. “We had to pass a little more.”
For a team and a coach that prides themselves on a strong ground game, last week’s performance against the Jaguars simply was not up to snuff.
“We just didn’t play very well — lots of mistakes on everyone’s part,” senior offensive lineman David Hrabik said. “There were a lot of mental errors.”
Added Lowe: “So much of last Thursday was just mental. I really think we were on our heels and a little fearful instead of going out and attacking and being the aggressors. It just carries over from one play to another, and once something bad happens like it did, we didn’t handle it well.
“I take the blame for it.”
As expected, the focus in practice this week heading into Friday’s home matchup against Topeka High has been on creating more offense. That could mean anything from changes along the offensive line to different play calls.
That, and Topeka High could possess just the remedy the Spartans (0-1) need.
In their season-opener against Junction City, the Trojans (0-1) were blasted 52-14 and gave up 447 yards of total offense to the Blue Jays, including 239 yards on the ground.
Such huge numbers might have caused the EHS offensive players’ eyes to get a little wider at first, but as Noonan said, the Spartans have to keep the focus on themselves, and the rest will work itself out.
“We as an offense definitely have something to prove this week,” Noonan said. “We need to figure out a way to score some points and get a win this week. We can’t look past them (Topeka High).”
The message Lowe and his assistants have been preaching since last week’s loss has been one of regaining the attitude needed to be physically and mentally tough on the football field.
Lowe said he believed his players — the ones who really want to improve — had taken those words to heart.
The players themselves are eager prove it.
“We need to go out and hit them,” Hrabik said, “and play our type of ball instead of theirs.”
Emporia High vs. Topeka High notes
The Spartans defeated Topeka High, 35-0, last season at Hummer Sports Park in Topeka ... It was the first shutout of coach Bill Lowe’s time as head coach at EHS ... The Spartans forced four Topeka High turnovers in last year’s game ... Last week against Junction City, Topeka High committed eight turnovers, including five fumbles ... running back Edd Noonan ran for just 80 yards last season against the Trojans, but scored three touchdowns ... Topeka High’s top offensive threat is John Babb, who rushed for 58 yards and had 61 yards receiving, including a 48-yard TD reception ... Against Blue Valley West, freshman Blaze Witten connected on a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter for Emporia’s first points of the 2007 season ... the Emporia High defense surrendered 101 yards of offense to Blue Valley West in the second half of last week’s game after allowing 211 in the first half.