The state of Moses Lake football
MOSES LAKE - It hasn't been the start the Moses Lake football team was hoping for.
The Chiefs dropped the first two games of the season to drop to the bottom of the Big Nine with Davis and Richland, raising the level of concern in the coaching staff.
The Chiefs open the season 0-2, defense near bottom of league
MOSES LAKE - It hasn't been the start the Moses Lake football team was hoping for.
The Chiefs dropped the first two games of the season to drop to the bottom of the Big Nine with Davis and Richland, raising the level of concern in the coaching staff.
What has remained safe has been the level of optimism head coach Greg Kittrell and is coaching staff has maintained during the lull in the season.
"When you start out 0-2 you are concerned, but I think the heart of our team has played their hearts out every single game," said Moses Lake defensive coordinator Todd Griffith.
Work ethic has been the coaching staff's crutch, believing in the team's ability to win and turn the season around.
"I think it is the best way to go," Kittrell said. "The kids have the effort and things are going to fall into place."
Kittrell said the improvement between week one and week two showed promise in a young team. As Griffith is working over a defense that returns three players from last year to lead the inexperience accompanying this year.
But, the inexperience doesn't lend itself to concern for Griffith or the rest of the coaching staff. As the season has progressed, Moses Lake built leads and put points on the board in both games.
The trouble has been closing a game after taking a lead. That has been the question facing Kittrell for the first two games of the season. In week one, the Chiefs led 13-0 over Wenatchee before falling 21-16, then in week two, Moses Lake took a 35-28 lead into the fourth quarter against Eisenhower and once again, fell 42-35 at the end of the quarter.
"Our defense is a little inconsistent right now and so is our offense," Kittrell said. "The biggest thing we are dealing with right now is putting someone away."
Three losses kept Moses Lake out of the playoffs last season and returning to the postseason for the 2004 season has a question mark at the end of it. Griffith said that may not be the case as the season is still in its infancy
He said that most of the league will have two losses by midseason. For Moses Lake, the breaks have been tough with an all-league schedule, unlike last year with a nonleague game against Othello.
"We have all league games and the rest of t he league doesn't," Kittrell said. "It doesn't hurt you to lose, it just helps you to win."
Currently, the Chiefs are ranked No. 2 in the league in rushing yards with 518 and last in passing yards with 80. They also have put up 51 points, the fourth most in the league.
The defense has allowed 699 yards of total offense, finishing just ahead of Walla Walla for last in the Big Nine and tied for eighth with 63 points allowed.
Even with the defense towards the bottom of the league, Kittrell is optimistic for Moses Lake to rebound. He said the next week's preparation for Friday's game against Richland, should show the resilience of a young, but dedicated Chief football team.
"It is real simple, it comes from the fact that the kids are such hard workers," Kittrell said. "They are willing to correct and work hard to get it done."??2*” 2iO*” 2iEAe” S"Eeb” SOEe_”`S”2iK+/-/”2io)()(@”L2i(c)YU)()(E”L2iaY*oa”D2iOYIaea” 2ifloUe” 2iOoa” 2-oa”2-oa”2-'oae” 2-9oa” 2-K)()(,” 2-]o(c)” 2-oo(R)” 2-A;Ohmkn—C)DougML football state of being 9-14 Sports HD??2i' P 2AUDTAe”i(|