KAPLAN – The North Webster Knights gave up the only score of Friday’s game with 9:50 to play in the fourth quarter.
On a night where offense was hard, if not impossible, to come by, 8 points proved to be plenty for the Kaplan Pirates, as North Webster’s offensive struggles finally caught up with them.
“It was back and fourth all night,” North Webster head coach John Ware said. “We got down inside the 20 early on, but could never piece anything together to get a scoring drive. On the scoring drive, they just nickled and dimed us down the field. They hit one on the outside that broke us in half.”
The North Webster defense played as well as anyone could have expected against a Pirates team that came into the game averaging 42 points per game.
“It was an excellent effort on our part,” Ware said. “I thought we’d be able to put some points on the board, but they played very sound defense and did what they were supposed to.”
The Knights finish the season at 7-5 as co-champions of district 1-3A.
Not bad for a team which came into the season with more questions than answers following the departure of Devin White and a handful of other prominent starters.
“I still think it was a great season for us,” Ware said. “I really did, for as far as we came and the schedule that we played I’m pretty proud. To only give up 8 points over our last four ball games of the season, to me it was a phenomenal year on that part. It’s got to be one of the better coaching efforts we’ve had from everyone on this staff, my whole staff. The players kept on believing, and we asked them to give themselves a chance in the fourth quarter. They did that, so that’s all we can ask for.”
It was the final game for another special group of seniors, led by All-Area linebacker/tight end Rico Gonzalez, QB Cameron Huff and defensive tackle Jaylon Bonton.
“This is a class that hung in there and worked hard,” Ware said. “They love football, and to have been their coach is a humbling experience.”