Patience Key For Jackson Co. Against Sale Creek

After falling in a tough week one matchup to York Institute 26-14, the Jackson County Blue Devils have their sights set on Sale Creek in week two.

Though they fell just short, Head Coach Sean Loftis said he was very pleased with the effort he saw from his players.

“(I felt that) we competed and we had some kids step up and make some plays,” Loftis said. “For four quarters, I thought that everyone that stepped on the field competed and did their job to the best of their abilities … unfortunately we just didn’t make the plays we needed to win.”

One thing Loftis pointed at as crucial was how they mixed their plays. While he and his staff believed they would throw the ball a lot in the game, it led to them running the ball less than Loftis admits he would’ve liked.

“Going in, we thought we would have an advantage in the passing game,” Loftis said. “When we got hot throwing the ball, we didn’t run the ball as much. We’ve got to be more balanced as our plays go.”

Loftis said he also liked what his defense did for most of the game, as they held a physical team in check for three-and-a-half quarters.

“Early in the game, York took a drive inside the five yard-line, and we forced a turnover,” Loftis said. “That was a huge swing for us, motivationally, because we withstood a drive and created a turnover … Late, we just didn’t do as good of a job on fighting through double teams or making plays. Whether it’s for a five or eight-yard gain, (we want to) make them have to snap the ball again to beat you.”

Sale Creek has a lot of size up front, so to counter that, Loftis said he wants to use their aggressiveness against them.

“Just be patient, they have an attacking defense,” Loftis said. “Just try to be patient and eventually, they are going to make a mistake … when the opportunity is there to make a play, we have got to make it on Friday.”

The two teams will battle at Sale Creek on Friday at 7 P.M.