The good news? District 3-4A combined record: 7-20. That’s the statement head football coach Bryan Wood has written on the board in the fieldhouse, and after a 0-5 start Wood and the Raiders are lucky not only to be playing in one of the weakest districts in Texas record-wise, but that there is any good news at all.
The Raiders lost 42-15 to Hereford September 25. This loss marked the fifth consecutive loss on the season for the Raiders, who are still winless in 2009. Quarterback Hunter Alford and the Raider offense have faced major struggles, having been outscored by their opponents 46-175. The Raiders will have nowhere to go but up as they prepare to head into district play, and Wood and his players are determined to do whatever it takes to turn things around in the second half of the season.
“We’ve really just been beating ourselves out there,” Wood said. “We are continuing to make the same mistakes over and over and we just need to spend more time in practice correcting those things.”
The Raiders were obliterated in the season opener against Amarillo High as they fell to the Sandies by a score of 56-0, and since then not much has changed. The Raiders lost all of their next four games to Perryton, Plainview, Frenship and Hereford.
“The guys are really working hard,” Wood said. “We’ve improved every week and now we just need to bring it all together to get a win.”
The major bright spot has been from the running back position, where senior Brice Ballard and his offensive line have seen their share of success. Ballard has run all over opposing defenses, most notably a 187-yard performance against Hereford.
“[Ballard] has been running hard and the offensive line has done a great job creating holes and allowing him to run for more yards,” Wood said.
Also making contributions have been tight-end Bryan Borchardt, defensive linemen Kody Brinlee, and linebacker Tony Chavez.
“When anyone plays well it affects the whole team,” Wood said. “Those kind of leaders create a domino effect that helps everyone succeed.”
On the down side, the Raiders lost star wide receiver and defensive back Bret Scheve to a knee injury for a minimum of four weeks.
“Any time you lose a player of that quality it hurts, but that just means that other people have to step up and fill that role,” Wood said.
The Raiders will kickoff district play October 8 against Pampa, who is also winless. Wood said this will be an important game for the Raiders as they try to turn their season around.
“Right now getting a win is the most important thing,” Wood said. “Once we get a win the whole attitude will improve and we can go from there.”
