By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Napoleon — Following a season-opening loss to Columbia Central, Scott Ashe admitted his Napoleon football team never really recovered.
“We were down, and I think as coaches, we were too hard on the guys right then,” Ashe said. “That’s on us. But that was a huge factor. We were down and never really recovered.”
Not the best recipe for success when taking on Grass Lake.
The Pirates learned that lesson the hard way too, being dominated by the Warriors 36-18.
Two weeks in, Napoleon was 0-2 and had a season on the brink of disaster.
And then, it all changed.
Eight weeks, and eight wins, later, the same two teams are set to meet in a Division 6 district final at Grass Lake.
Ashe said his guys have learned their lesson, are confident, and simply can’t wait for 7 p.m. Friday night.
“It needs to get here,” he gushed. “I can’t sleep or eat. I just want to play this game.”
Napoleon earned a spot in the Friday final after beating Michigan Center 25-24 last week, the first postseason victory for the program since October of 2000.
“It was so nice to get that win,” Ashe said. “We knew it’d be a battle. We fell behind, but we persevered. That’s what this team does. That’s the key to success.”
It has been since the second game.
Since that point, Napoleon is 8-0, allowed 20 points or fewer in seven of those games, and has an offense averaging 36.5 points.
Now the challenge is a Grass Lake team on a roll of its own.
The Warriors are 9-1, have a defense giving up 13 points per game and an offense averaging 36.
Grass Lake rolled past Manchester 27-7 last Friday night.
“Really, without saying too much, the game plan is to be aggressive,” Ashe said. “We have to find a way to match up with them. That’s a good team, very talented. It’s on us to match up, put kids in right spot, and make some things happen.”
Ashe said he’s not putting a ton of stock in the first game.
“We’re such a different team now,” he added. “We hope that provides some trouble for them.”
The game’s winner will be on the road next weekend in a regional final, at Lumen Christi (8-2) or Schoolcraft (10-0).
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’
Love, Defined is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tate Publishing or by contacting Mike directly.
Visit http://lovedefinedbook.weebly.com for more information.
