The scene is set. Two teams, both undefeated in the Far West League clash tomorrow night at Pete Susick Stadium. The Pirates will be playing North Bend for the district title.
The Pirate’s overall record in the 2013 season was 2-6, but currently, the team’s record is 6-1 with one game left in the regular season. The only loss came from Sutherlin, and the six wins have come against Cottage Grove, Newport, Brookings, Douglas, Siuslaw, and South Umpqua.
Last Friday the football team traveled to South Umpqua for a very close game in the rain and mud, where the Pirates won 21-20 and secured a home postseason game for the first time since 2009.
On Oct. 10, the Pirates secured their spot in a playoff game after beating the Siuslaw Vikings in overtime.
The game was tied after the fourth quarter. Siuslaw won the coin toss which gave them the ball first. They took advantage and quickly scored.
The Vikings’ score put the Pirates in a do-or-die situation. The Pirates, led by head coach Josh Line, were forced into a dilemma: tie the game up with an extra point or go for a two-point conversion.
“I felt like our offensive was doing really well,” Line said. “It didn’t seem like they could stop us so I felt that going for two gave us the best chance of winning the game.”
After deciding to go for a two-point conversion, senior Andrew Sharp rolled to the right when he was supposed to roll to the left.
“I realized I rolled out the wrong way and then I saw Chris Alonzo, he just ended up blocking the guy so I saw the slot and went for it,” Sharp said. “It was either go for it or I have nothing to do at all.”
According to Sharp, there have been changes among the players this season that have helped in turning around the program.
“Our whole mentality is different,” Sharp said. “In the past, we were okay with losing, but with us, if something bad happens we don’t let it get to us. We get right back out there and fight even harder.”
Even the coaching staff has seen major changes among the athletes. Line credits some of the team improvement to the level of organization in the weight room.
“We have always had organized individuals in the weight room, but as a group, we are really starting to buy into the weight room. We are getting a lot of kids in the weight room and it’s making a big difference for us,” Line said.
According to junior Ben Martin, support from the school and the community has also had a positive impact on the team.
“It is an awesome feeling to come back to school on Monday mornings and have people telling you ‘good game.’ And everyone has an uplifting spirt so it makes practices easier because we have that ‘winner’s mentality’ and are getting stuff done like we are supposed to the first time,” Martin said.
Sharp said the support from the crowd is a big part of the game.
“Seeing more people in the stands just gets us excited,” Sharp said. “It pushes us to work that much harder.”
Junior Justin Cooper said the team is not just doing better in games, but are also working a lot harder in practices. He said one reason for improvement is motivation from the coaches.
“The coaches really push us hard every day,” Cooper said. “Even when we don’t want to go hard, we go hard and it is making us so much better.”
According to Line, how far the team goes is based on how much effort they put into getting there.
“We can go as far as we are willing to work. It’s going to boil down to how bad we want it and how much focus we bring,” Line said. “If our line of scrimmage really starts clicking mid-season, we have a chance to make some waves in the playoffs.”
Cooper said he is not worried about how the season is going to end. He just wants to focus on getting better every day.
“Honestly, if we work hard every day, the sky is the limit for us,” Cooper said.
