ARMA — If there’s such a thing as a mulligan in football, Marmaton Valley Junior High head coach Daniel Uhlrich would gladly have taken one Thursday.
The Wildcats struggled through a mistake-plagued first half, and wound up trailing host Northeast 22-0 at the break.
The second half was a different story. Marmaton Valley upped its level of play several notches, but the early deficit was too much to overcome in a 30-14 setback.
The defeat was MV’s first of the year.
“The second half, the Wildcats were clearly the better team,” Uhlrich said. “But it takes the whole 32 minutes for the game to unfold. Much can be learned from this game and I wished we played this team weekly. We could learn much from one another.”
The early miscues included false start penalties, Uhlrich said. Northeast also converted on several fourth-down attempts to keep the upper hand.
“We were so close many times, but close doesn’t get the job done,” he said.
Marmaton Valley (2-1) returns to action next Thursday against Pleasanton. “We know we will get Pleasanton’s best shot,” Uhlrich said. “They are a big ball club. I hope we come out with a sense of urgency and get that game for 32 minutes vs. Pleasanton. I am looking forward to seeing how we prepare for next week.”
