After the long wait, it wasnt the outcome that Doug Haas had hoped for.
The first-year Wooster coach watched his team take a quick lead on a senior-laden Akron Garfield team, but the early 12-spot the Generals put up wasnt enough as the Rams rallied back for a 14-12 victory. What added some sting to the loss was the win was within Woosters grasp - a point-after touchdown kick, a two-point PAT play and a field goal were all turned away by Garfield to determine the outcome.
It is what it is, said Haas. Now the question becomes can we show resolve and deal with the adversity and move forward and get better?
The key, said Haas, is simple.
We have to learn to overcome adversity and do the things championship teams do, said Haas. As part of the habits we need to develop are championship habits. Right now were not. We practice hard and I know the kids want to win. Its a matter of continuing to develop. Its an ongoing process to develop those championship habits. I know our kids will and our coaching staff will continue to work hard to create those habits.
Thats the mental resolve and fortitude we need to develop. Its not that the kids dont want to, its just the struggle we face. Its not just Wooster or Ohio State – we have to change the culture to get them to realize that what happens on the practice field happens on the game field as well.
The Generals had a chance to win this game, jumping to a 12-0 lead. Sophomore quarterback Cam Daugherty hooked up with James Preston for a 28-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, but the PAT kick by Brian Crum was blocked. Daugherty then got the ball into the hands of senior Darrian Owens, who turned the pass into an 83-yard TD with 7:01 left in the second quarter.
Things unraveled for Wooster from that point on. Garfield pulled within 12-7 immediately after Owens score and the clincher came in the third quarter when the Rams pounded out a 92-yard drive, scoring the final points of the game with 2:31 to play.
From our standpoint, we left five points out there, a field goal and two extra points, said Haas. Now youre talking about a 17-14 win. Thats the hard lesson. Its easy to find lessons because you escaped with a victory, even if its not pretty.
This is that resolve and fortitude. Thats our challenge to the kids – how we respond. When you deal with adversity, what do you do? Thats part of what (College of Wooster coach Mike) Schmitz talked about (when Haas was an assistant with the Scots): you can wallow in self-pity or you can get back to work. The seniors are working hard and (guys) are studying the scouting reports. They are looking to take that extra step to ensure we come up with those five points this time around.
While Haas acknowledged the difficulty of learning a new offensive scheme, he wasnt willing to place blame for Woosters struggles on its new look or its young quarterback.
I dont know about the no-huddle aspect, but certainly the challenge of tempering (what we install) as a coaching staff and being able to evaluate how much can the kids handle is important, said Haas. At the same time, as an educator, you approach every class over-prepared. You dont want idle time. You want to be prepared for every scenario, so were going to challenge the kids mentally as far as remembering schemes. You can overwhelm them and cause them to play slow; but as a coach you do have to have enough in to be successful. Thats the fine line you walk as a coach.
Part of that rests with Daugherty, who made his debut with an 8-of-18 showing through the air for 152 yards.
He had a great first half, said Haas. He was 5-of-7 for two TDs (and 140 yards). Then, for whatever reason, his second half was not as good. They made some adjustments and it was hard to gain any consistency, and then we had some negative yardage plays that put us back second- and third-and-long. You cant pin that all on him. We had a couple drops, a couple missed executions up front – it was a collective effort. You cant pin it on one guy. Cameron knows he needs to take that next step and he will.
Wooster will host Wadsworth August 31 at 7 p.m.
