LACYGNE — The scoreboard may not have looked any prettier and the sting of defeat may have been the same for the Iola Mustangs (0-2) after falling 21-0 at Prairie View Friday night, but one thing was for certain, improvement was made.
Yes, the Mustangs’ offensive woes continue to be their biggest challenge.
Iola has scored points in just one of its eight quarters.
The Mustangs gave away three fumbles and two interceptions and yet, late in third quarter, Iola was driving to cut the Buffalos’ lead to a touchdown.
With the ball inside the 15, the Mustangs were stuffed on all four downs, ceding the ball once again to the home team.
“That game was there for the taking,” head coach David Daugharthy said. “I know the scoreboard doesn’t show it, 21-0, but we moved the ball, and had close if not more yards than they did all night, but we just couldn’t finish in the red zone. If we put the ball in the endzone then we’re right there.”
The frustration continued to build into the fourth quarter as the Mustang passing offense found life for the first time this season. Senior Ethan Holloway and junior Elijah Luedke both hauled in long passes to get the Mustangs across the 50. But a fumbled snap ostensibly marked the end with roughy five minutes to.
The defense, who aside from a 62-yard run from Prairie View sophomore Justin Scott to open the second half, had been sterling and gave the offense one more stop.
Pinned inside the 10 and with less than three minutes to play, Iola quarterback Casen Barker heaved up a final prayer that was snatched away by the Buffalos. Prairie View marched their way back to endzone for the final score.
It was a drive that Daugharthy said was emblematic of the state of the Iola program over the years. The eventual succumbing to defeat before the final whistle has blown.
“Iola football has been in that place for ages,” Daugharthy said. “When I played that was a big thing in Iola football and that has to change. We can’t have that from anybody on the team. We have to fight to the whistle. That’s what we worked for and conditioned so hard for in the offseason.”
Even with the gloom and doom that comes with opening your season with two losses and seven total points, Daugharthy was still able to find plenty of positives.
Barker may have struggled so far this season season — the only touchdown pass he’s thrown so far this year was to a Prairie View player in the first quarter — but Daugharthy commends the sophomore on the positive steps he’s taken.
“He had a pretty gutty performance,” Daugharthy said. “We got on him a little this week, probably a little harder than we have been, but he responded well. If we take away those silly fumbled snaps and turnovers, he played a heck of a game. He ran the ball hard and made pretty good decisions.”
The defense had a great day led by standout freshman linebacker Isaac Badders, who was all over the field making plays defensively for Iola.
“He’s going to be a great player,” Daugharthy said. “And the thing about Isaac is that he does whatever you tell him. When you have that kind of mentality in you and you’re coachable it’s just awesome. He’s going to be one heck of a player.”
