If there was a time we needed to be home, this was the week! It was great to get out there in front of the home crowd at 'The Grove' and play a well-coached, reputable Edina team and come out on top 20 -7. After falling behind early, the boys did a great job staying within themselves and making plays when the time presented itself. Hopefully it is a win that springboards us into the rest of the season as we still are a work in progress figuring out who we are and what it is we can hang our hat on.
Offensively, we made some changes, so I was proud of the effort given because so much was new. Nate Elmes showed some great things at quarterback both with his arm and his feet as he completed nearly 50 percent of his passes for two touchdowns, and he ran one in from forty-one yards out . Jacob Glover made an impact at tight end with strong blocking and two catches, one ending up in a touchdown. Spencer Wherry was asked to do multiple things on offense both rushing and receiving, and Luke Raymon had a big touchdown right at the end of the half. Also, our offensive line did a nice job picking up blitzes all night and doing a nice job against a downhill, aggressive defense. This side of the ball needs to keep improving, and hopefully it's confidence will continue to grow throughout each week of the season.
Defensively, I was again proud of the effort given. They had their backs to the wall much of the 3rd quarter and they were able to make big stops that allowed us a chance to get to a 2 touchdown lead. Anthony Gipson again had a great game with double digit tackles, while senior Joe Schmidt had a huge sack down deep in our territory that totally turned the momentum. This side of the ball is doing a great job preparing for the games, and we need them to be great each week for they are what we are about.
Next week we have Blaine for our Homecoming game, so it should be another exciting Friday night at home! A team that has made the semifinals two of the past three years, it will be fun having another great opponent at our stadium. However, this game is completely about us. We are a team that needs to keep improving and finds confidence in who we are and what we are able to do from play to play, series to series, and game to game. This is a great bunch of young men that put their hearts and souls into this team, so it's time they start believing in one another and know that their strength from within is everything we need to achieve great things! Let's pack both sides of the stadium Friday night and create an atmosphere that brings nothing but energy for all involved! After this week, the regular season is already half done! Let's make it great closer to the first half of the year! Go Crimson!
Lombo