By Cameron Hamilton – Football season is in full swing, but this year is different from most: the Mustangs not only opened the season with Benedictine, who was ranked #3 at the time, but also with local rivals the Northwestern Red Raiders (week 1) and the Dordt Defenders (week 3). These early games can decide who becomes the GPAC conference champion at the end of the regular season.
The schedule was released in mid-March, and the Mustangs have been preparing to open with a tough opponent from day one, according to head coach Steve Ryan.
“I think it is probably, in large, more of the same. For one, you talk about playing in the now and the game that you’re on, and all four years we’ve opened up with Benedictine, so in most years we open up with a tough opponent early on, and so I think that’s a big part of it.” Ryan stated. “What I think is different here is that we have a sense of urgency to fix things right away. It’s not like we need to get this thing fixed by week seven; it’s got to be good to go now, and we’ve got to go forward now.”
A schedule like this is a challenge the Mustangs have to overcome, but their preseason preparation has helped them face it head-on. According to red-shirt Senior Defensive Captain Cade Harriman, the only challenge he sees is the lack of time to get into a rhythm.
“I think the most challenging part of opening with good teams right away is the fact that you don’t really have a chance to find a groove or get some experience for younger guys early in the season,” Harriman said. “Everyone has to be ready to go from the minute the ball kicks for the first game of the season.”
One of the biggest factors in a team’s success, especially early on in the season, is chemistry: knowing how each player on one side of the ball plays, their motivation, their job, knowing where they fit into the scheme, and overall trust. It takes time to build chemistry, and most starters have played together for a year or more, but some are making their first starts in big-time games, so building chemistry quickly is important to the Mustangs’ early success.
“Building trust and chemistry really happens during practice and fall camp. You spend a lot of time with the team, especially the guys on your side of the ball. This gives you a lot of opportunities to get to know each other and grow as a cohesive unit,” Harriman explained. “Practice comes into play because, to be successful on game day, we have to be successful during practice. Everyone has to show that they know their job and can execute it violently and relentlessly.”
Morningside opened the season 1-1, with a victory over Benedictine (35-28) and a loss to Northwestern (43-35). While the win against Benedictine was a huge momentum boost for the Mustangs, the loss to Northwestern was an eye-opener for the team, and game preparation needs to be worked on and improved to be successful not only for the rest of the season but also to take on Dordt and come out victorious in week 3.
“We got to get better. I think our guys have done a good job of game prep, but we need to get into a routine,” Ryan explained. “I think the weather has affected our ability to get into a routine, and that’s really what we need to do [to improve].”
On the defensive side of the ball, Harriman said this about improving game preparation.
“Right now, our game prep has been alright, but I still think we have a lot to work on. As a defense, we need to get better at shutting down the run game, in particular the quarterback run game. That is something we must improve if we want to have a successful season,” Harriman expressed.
While the loss to Northwestern is a tough pill to swallow, it is an eye-opener for how Morningside needs to approach preparation for the weeks to come. The loss doesn’t necessarily take them out of contention for another GPAC championship, but it makes their path to get there harder. The Mustangs next play on Saturday, September 12th, hosting the Tigers from Doane University, so it will be a good game to test whether their preparation has improved. If the improvement worked, it will not only help them face the adversity of the Dordt Defenders and come out victorious, but also help them raise the GPAC championship banner at the end of the season.
Photo Credit: Trenton Eilerts
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