Playoff-bound?
A win against Melba is key to the Pilgrims’ success in WIC
By Scott Ford
Argus Observer
scottf@argusobserver.com
Thursday, October 1, 2009 11:17 AM PDT
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| Argus Observer file photo; The New Plymouth Pilgrims will battle WIC rival Melba tonight as the Pilgrims pay tribute to its seniors. New Plymouth is coming off an impressive 51-6 win over Marsing but needs to come up with a big win tonight to keep its playoff hopes alive. Melba (0-4 overall, 0-1 WIC) still remains a threat in conference action. Tonight’s game will kick off at 7 p.m. in New Plymouth. |
New Plymouth—It’s senior night tonight for the Pilgrim football team as it hosts Western Idaho Conference rival Melba in a must-win game if New Plymouth wants to keep its playoff hopes alive in the 2A ranks.
With three WIC games remaining, and only two spots from the WIC reaching the playoffs, the Pilgrims cannot afford to let any distractions get in their way.
The Pilgrims have had to deal with one major distraction in the loss of senior leader Casey Pfeifer, who broke his arm earlier this season. It has not been determined f the senior leader will return this season.
“After we lost Casey, we searched around for a new leader,” New Plymouth head coach Porter Lacey said. “The kids are getting a feel for who needs to step up. We have made a few adjustments to take better care of the football, and now, the team is feeling more confident after losing Casey.”
Tonight, the Pilgrims take on a Melba team that has not won a game in 2009, but Lacey said their record does not tell the whole story.
Lacey said the WIC is a tough league, and a team like Melba, with four losses to teams like Glenns Ferry, Parma, Payette and Homedale, is not necessarily a bad team.
“They (Melba) like to throw the ball a little more this year than what they have in the past, but we still have to stop their running game,” Lacey said.
On offense, the coach said they will not try to do anything fancy, but rather will keep things balanced.
“We have to have that mental toughness,” Lacey said. “We have to play in attack mode all game long. Against Glenns Ferry and Payette, we lacked that attitude.”
Even though the Mustangs lost a key running back with a broken leg, Lacey said stopping the running game is crucial in tonight’s matchup.
Lacey’s keys to
victory:
•Limit the turnovers
•Convert on third down situations
• Stop the Melba running game.
Western Idaho Conference standings
Conference Overall
Team W L W L
Parma 1 0 5 0
New Plymouth 1 0 3 2
Nampa Christian 0 0 2 2
Marsing 0 1 1 3
Melba 0 1 0 4
