Close isn’t a word Randal Montgomery intends to use very often in the construction of the Columbus High School football program.
But when your team is coming off a 46-7 loss in its season opener, you hope for improvement in a number of areas to erase the sting of the result.
And while a 35-24 loss to New Hope last week wasn’t the desired ending, Montgomery came away from his second game as the Falcons’ coach pleased with a number of factors. The former Hazlehurst coach liked how his team battled back from a 13-0 deficit in the first quarter. He also enjoyed the fight and determination his players showed all the way to the final horn.
The goal now is to combine that tenacity and heart with a little better ball security to produce a positive result. Montgomery hopes Columbus will be able to do that at 7 p.m. Friday when it plays host to West Point (1-2).
“We fought about as hard as they could have to win the game,” Montgomery said. “If we don’t make those mistakes, we had an opportunity to win.”
The mistakes Montgomery was referring to were turnovers that cost the Falcons scoring chances and set the Trojans up for opportunities. The biggest may have been a fumble early in the fourth with Columbus driving and trailing only 26-24. After holding New Hope, Columbus hurt itself again with a high snap to punter Anthony Maleta that forced him to step out of the end zone for a safety. Brenton Spann’s 7-yard touchdown helped the Trojans seal the deal.
“The mind-set has to be somewhat altered just a little just because we keep finding ways to give away donations during the course of a game,” Montgomery said. “We just can’t do that.”
Even with the turnovers, Columbus had chances to make several other plays on defense but didn’t. If you put it all together, Montgomery feels it should be evident to his players how close they were to doing enough to win a game.
Given the team was that close, Montgomery didn’t hesitate to talk about that in practice early this week. He hopes his players see how much the team improved from week one to week two and what they need to clean up to turn a loss into a victory.
“There were some plays out there that we could have made that probably could have tipped the scale in terms of the ballgame,” Montgomery said. “We dropped three interceptions that if we would have caught, we probably would have had opportunities to score off those. We dropped a big second-down pass late in the game that would have given us a first down. The defender tripped, so if we catch the ball we may have a chance to score there.
“As a whole, I like how we fought and competed. We got down early by two touchdowns and there was an opportunity for us to give up and fold up the tent, but the kids fought back and we got back into the ballgame and made a game out of it. If we can get rid of the mistakes that seem to show up at the worst time and just keep fighting, I think we will have a chance to win some ballgames at the end.”
Montgomery said better ball security will come with repetition and confidence. He said the production of sophomores Kendre Conner and Kylin Hill and running back has been solid. He said a key is getting senior quarterback Jay Jay Swanigan more comfortable so the offense can have better balance to keep defenses honest.
Columbus should enter the game with confidence. Last season, the Falcons rode a stingy defense to a 41-14 victory against the Green Wave in West Point. Several of the pieces to Columbus’ 2013 defense have moved on to college, but the Falcons’ competitiveness in the series should give them confidence they will be able to play with the Green Wave’s run-dominated attack. Columbus lost to West Point 26-19 in 2012 and won 35-27 in 2011.
Montgomery knows his team will face a physical test Friday. He hopes his players are ready to answer the call and accept the challenge.
“We have to try put them in some long downs and distances. We have to get some stops on first down and put them in second-and-9 and second-and-8 versus second-and-4s and second-and-3s,” Montgomery said. “If we get them in some long downs and distances, we will have a better chance to get off the field on third down.”
Columbus (0-2) will try to accomplish that goal with a renewed focus. After the loss to New Hope, Montgomery told his players he wasn’t happy with how some of his players acted toward some of the coaches. He chided those players for their behavior and said he would address the issue Monday. Montgomery said he talked with the players and handled it himself.
“We got that nipped in the bud and they understand there is a level you’re expected to play at and there is a level you’re expected to act on and off the field, regardless of the outcome of the game,” Montgomery said. “I laid those out on the line again and made sure we were on the same problem. I don’t think we will have that problem again.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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