Kris Pickle sees the progress.
Ideally, the improvement the New Hope High School football coach has seen his team make from week one to week three would have given the Trojans something more to show for their investment than an 0-3 record.
Instead, Pickle, his assistant coaches, and his players have to sort out the inconsistencies and the mistakes that have played key roles in losses at Louisville, at home against Aberdeen, and at Columbus. New Hope will have a bye week to gather its thoughts and to address its issues before it begins in earnest its preparations for Lowndes County rival Caledonia.
“Every single week we have done things well and we have done things bad, obviously,” Pickle said. “But the biggest thing is our kids are playing hard. That is the biggest thing we can take out of this is we continue to play hard, and if we continue to work hard in practice it is going to come.”
In his team’s defense, Pickle said New Hope has played three tough opponents in three different classifications (Class 4A, 3A, and 6A). The problem, though, is New Hope hasn’t played a complete game, Pickle said. Against Aberdeen, New Hope put itself in position to win with a score late in the fourth quarter only to give up a touchdown pass on the last play of the game in a 32-27 setback.
Last week, Columbus capitalized on superior size and a bruising running game to post a 27-6 victory. Kendre Conner eclipsed the 200-yard mark, while Kylin Hill hit 100 yards.
Pickle credited the Falcons for their rushing attack, but he said the defense played well and that the offense “laid an egg,” which is something the team will try to correct this week. Pickle said New Hope will continue to focus on what it has to do to win games.
“They see the things we see,” Pickle said. “They know they can’t fumble the ball and commit unforced turnovers.
Pickle said he saw New Hope’s tackling improve from week two to last week. He said the defense also held its own after giving up chunks of yards and showed it wasn’t going to give in.
Offensively, Pickle though the Trojans took a step back. He said the blocking in the running game needs improvement, as does the play of the quarterback and the wide receivers. All of those areas will be focuses this week so the Trojans don’t continue to make the same mistakes.
“They want to win just like we do. They’re not dumb and naive, but it is hard to keep telling them the same thing over and over and over again and they look at you and say, ‘Why is it not happening?’ ” Pickle said. “At some point — it comes back to the accountability thing — they have to take some ownership in what they are doing and the coaches have to do the same thing.”
NOTE: Willie Ousley was incorrectly identified in a story in Sunday’s newspaper. He is No. 9.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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