Oct. 19, 2009
12th Monarch Penalty Total To Date: 30
12th Monarchs,
We are officially seven games old as a program and a 5-2 record is a great birthday present!! Thank you for celebrating with us Saturday night!!
Monarch Nation was Loud and Proud once again and made a huge difference in this game for our players. Not only did you have eight penalties but you also forced Campbell to use four timeouts. The noise level when our opponents have the ball is deafening!! Their offensive lineman could not hear the call from the quarterback and their head coach was forced to call the timeouts to avoid a delay of game penalty!!
I continue to be impressed with how you keep your focus on our team and all the good things we are trying to do. We try to play the game the right way. At some of the stadiums I have been to in my 20 years of coaching, the fans focus on the opposing team. Your commitment to your Monarchs is outstanding!!
Our theme for our players vs. Campbell was to "stay the course". We knew going into the game as a coaching staff this game would come down to turnovers and field position. We won the battle of turnovers and when Jonathan Plisco hit a 76-yard punt to pin them on their one yard line in the 3rd quarter and we took over the field position. We went from down 10-7 late in the 3rd quarter, to winning 28-10 in less than one quarter by sticking to our plan. We "stayed the course" and came out on top 28-17.
We are learning how to deal with adversity within a football game. We have now been behind in five straight games and have managed to win three of those games. Dealing with adversity in a football game is no different than dealing with adversity in life. Have a plan, stick to that plan, and believe in yourself. Our team is learning and living that lesson every game.
This weekend we travel to Georgia to play Savannah State. They play well at home. This will be our third road game this season. We are 1-1 to date with a thrilling come from behind win at Jacksonville 28-27 and a heart-breaking last second loss to Fordham 34-29. Our goal is to take a "39 hour business trip" and return to Old Dominion with a victory.
We look forward to seeing you all on Halloween when we return to the "best home field advantage" in the country to take on the Hoyas of Georgetown!!!
Aim High,
- Coach Wilder