Entering the bye week, Kosciusko head coach Kelly Causey stated he and his staff planned to address several deficiencies that have led to his team’s 1-4 start.
The Whippets’ week off came on the heels of a 48-7 loss to Choctaw County that sent the team to its third consecutive loss. With that in mind, Causey returned to the drawing board.
“We went back to the basics of football,” Causey said. “We just went back to tackling, blocking and getting a little physical and playing the game like it’s supposed to be played.”
Kosciusko has five remaining regular-season games left on its schedule, and Causey hopes his bye week efforts resonate enough with his team for it to be formidable in those contests.
The uptempo, enhanced bye week practices were generally well-received, but they also tested a few players’ mettle.
“Some people didn’t like it, but that’s what had to be done,” Causey said. “If you’re going to play the game, it’s going to be physical. We’re trying to see who really wants to be out there on that field playing and playing with a lot of heart.”
The introspection was not just exclusive to players.
“It’s my job to do that, and probably, I haven’t done a good job of that,” Causey said. “We coaches are going to pick it up, and we’re going to see if we can turn this thing around.”
Kosciusko this season is averaging 15 points per game while its opponents are averaging 33 per contest. While the first half of the season has not been ideal for Causey, there is still time to chart a new course as the Whippets have yet to play a region contest.
The Whippets begin the Region 4-4A portion of their schedule this week with a trip to Philadelphia to play Choctaw Central. The Warriors are 2-3 overall and defeated Richland 54-14 last week. They boast a quick-strike offense tha has accumulated 144 points this season.
Kosciusko will have an ideal opportunity to put its bye-week work to the test against its opponent this week. With the adjustments made last week, Causey believes his team will do just that.
“I think we be a different team than what walked out on the field two weeks ago,” Causey said. “We’re going to be a team that’s willing to come at you a lot harder. I think we’ll be a more physical team.”
