By Mike Moore (File Photo)
Staff Writer
Jackson — This was notable, only because of how troubling the past few seasons have been.
In 2016, the Northwest football team went nine weeks without a win.
In 2015, the Mounties needed nine weeks to find one victory, which was the exact same story in 2014, when the only win of the year came in Week 9.
To add things up quickly, from 2014 through 2016, Northwest went an abysmal 2-25.
So, to come from behind and beat Eaton Rapids 16-14 last weekend, well, that’s something to build on.
“It’s always big to get that first win, even more so for us as a new coach and a new program,” first-year coach Adam Grybauskas said. “To get that first one and build some confidence moving forward was huge.”
It wasn’t easy, either.
“We played a solid game all the way around, but when you’re up almost the entire time until the end, it takes some guts to win,” Grybauskas said.
Northwest led 10-0 at halftime, but gave up a touchdown with 2:07 to play in regulation and trailed 14-10.
Then the offense went to work, eventually taking the lead with just 11.7 seconds to play.
“It was a little sweeter, it was,” Grybauskas said with a laugh. “Like I said, it was a good way for these guys to get a win. If it was an easy win, maybe we don’t get as much out of it. But we worked hard and found a way.”
So, now the Mounties have a chance to go to 2-0 for the first time since 2013, and just the second time since 2008.
Northwest hosts Harper Creek Thursday night.
Harper Creek defeated Gull Lake 15-14 last weekend.
“The key for us, even though we won, is getting past a lot of the mistakes we made,” Grybauskas said. “If we make the same mistakes we’re not going to beat a team like Harper Creek. I’ve always thought the biggest jump for a team can be from the first week to the second. We have to keep up what we did last week and get better.”
Grybauskas said the chance to be 2-0 is a big deal.
“The guys are confident, but we’ve won one game,” he said. “We have a long way to go. We’ve had a good week, and the guys are buying in. Now it’s about reacting to new situations and seeing what happens.”
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports.
He’s also a Real Estate agent with Real Estate One, specializing with buyers and sellers throughout Michigan, from the Jackson area to metro Detroit. You can reach him at mmoore@realestateone.com or by calling (313) 770-6365 with any inquiries.
