Robservations: Willingness to adjust is a must
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Sometimes those adjustments might prove successful, and other times, they might not. But the important thing is realizing there’s a problem, and taking the steps to fix it.
That’s probably the best thing about the early weeks of the 2002 Pioneer football season.
Now, I don’t to take anything away from last year’s coaching staff, because they were a dedicated bunch of coaches who did their best to make a winner all year long.
But when people voiced their concerns about the program (which they did day, after day, after day), the main criticism of the previous system was the fact that it was too predictable.
The success the 2001 Pioneers showed in their opening contest dwindled steadily throughout the season, mainly because the coaches they played later in the year knew what was coming, and prepared for it. And at no point were last year’s Pioneers prepared to go into a halftime locker room — or a Monday afternoon practice session — and say, “Hey. What we tried Friday didn’t work worth a darn. Let’s give something else a shot.”
But this season, that’s exactly what we’re seeing out of the Pioneer staff.
I don’t know about you, but if the Pioneers pull out a win, I don’t care how many times they have to change their offense. They can run the West-coast passing attack, or run the quarterback sneak 90 percent of the time, for all I care.
Sooner or later, something they try is going to work. Hopefully, for all our sakes, this latest change will prove to be the successful experiment. But if not, it’s a refreshing change to know that the coaching staff that’s in place will go back to the drawing board and come up with another idea.
• How about that drive to Franklin? Wasn’t that some beautiful country we got to go through — twice?
After the monsoon last Friday postponed the Pioneers’ season opener, I was — frankly — worried about the amount of support the team would receive at Saturday’s game.
I should’ve known better, because a wealth of WCHS fans made the trip for the second time in as many days, showing the kind of die-hard support this team has enjoyed for years.
And you know what? I’ll bet a lot of those students, parents, cheerleaders and other fans in attendance had made plans for Saturday night, that they had to cancel to go back to Franklin.
I know I had plans that had to be scrapped. I’m sure Dale, the radio guys, the athletic administrators, the coaches and the players also had a full slate of activity set for Saturday night that had to be put on hold so they could drive back to Franklin.
But we all changed our plans, the way good supporters should.
At least, most of us did.
• Speaking of good supporters, the Warren County Middle School band was on hand Tuesday night for the Pioneers’ season opener, and I just wanted to close with a hearty “good job” for all the guys and girls up in the stands who cheered their classmates on to victory.
As somebody who spent every football Friday night through his high school career in the bleachers with a drum strapped to his chest, it brought back some fond memories of all the home games and road trips I made.
After the game, the band’s director came down to field level to give head coach Jeff Watson a congratulatory handshake, and Watson returned the favor and thanked him for the great job he and his students did up in the bleachers.
It was a small gesture, but it was a classy one — on both men’s parts. And it’s the kind of support for each other’s programs that you like to see. Let’s hope we see more of it, on every level.