Elkins hopes to finish up disappointing season with win
Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2007
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Sports/58818/
ELKINS — Ivan Gonzalez won’t lie. And he won’t sugar-coat the truth. Elkins ’ 2007 season has been a big disappointment.
Players have succumbed to injuries. Others have been consistent no-shows at practice. All the while, the losses have piled up for a team that is one year removed from making the playoffs. Entering their season finale against Pea Ridge, the Elks have nothing to play for except pride.
“ We had so many expectations, ” said Gonzalez, a senior offensive and defensive lineman. “ It’s been a frustrating year. We have gone through a bunch of stuff. ”
When preseason practices began, Elkins had only 27 players on its roster. The Elks were small and they hoped to use speed to their advantage. But then problems started to pop up.
Jordan Auslam — the team’s starting quarterback — was forced to undergo an emergency appendectomy that sidelined him for two weeks. Offensive and defensive tackle Chris Fields, the biggest player on the team, tore both his anterior and medial collateral ligaments. One setback followed another.
“ It all goes back to depth, ” Elkins coach Aaron Clark said.
Undermanned and undersized, the Elks (2-7, 1-5 1-3 A ) have been victimized time and time again this season. Last week, Cedarville defeated Elkins 21-0. It was a Elks ’ fifth loss in six league games. Their only victory in the 1-3 A Conference came against last-place Lincoln.
“ We’ve been in most of the games, ” Clark said. “ Most of the games we were a touchdown behind or two. The players have played hard all year. ”
Most teams would have been crippled by all the problems Elkins has experienced. Clark, however, insists that the players have kept positive attitudes — refusing to quit in the wake of adversity. Gonzalez admits that it’s been hard to keep fighting.
“ People have given up on us, ” Gonzalez said. “ It’s been so frustrating. We’re used to winning. ”
Last year, the Elks clinched a playoff berth in the last week of October against the same Cedarville team that shut them out Friday. The team was riding high after its 20-8 victory over the Pirates in 2006. The season had been validated with a run to the playoffs that ended with a first-round loss to Mayflower.
Twelve months later, Elkins’ postseason aspirations have already fallen by the wayside. Now, all that remains are some abstract goals the team hopes to achieve against the Blackhawks.
“ We want to make the sophomores and juniors finish on a positive note, ” Gonzalez said. “ You don’t want to lose your last game. We want to win it. ”
Behind Gonzalez stood a small pack of players in pads and shorts, waiting for practice to begin. They will spend the next few days together and then the season will be over.
“ We want to win another ball game, ” Clark said. “ These kids have been great all season. They would play another 10 weeks.
“ But we want the seniors to have a game to remember. At the same time, we’re looking to get something positive for the offseason. Hopefully, we will save our best for last. ”