Braves keep tough loss in perspective

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By Brian Plasters and David Jablonski
Staff Writer Updated 12:53 AM Saturday, November 21, 2009

DAYTON — On an August morning weeks before the start of the season, Shawnee football coach Rick Meeks talked about his senior class, how it had played together for years without experiencing a winning season.

That day, a regional final appearance and a 9-4 season was the furthest thing from the coach’s thoughts. A winning season would have sufficed.

That’s why Meeks, while disappointed with a 14-7 loss to Wyoming on Friday, Nov. 20, in a Division III regional final at Welcome Stadium, won’t hang his head for long.

“That’s why we’ve got to keep it in perspective,” Meeks said. “It’s hard, though, because when you get to a certain point, you’re like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s get all we can get.’ But if you would have said back in the summer that we would go 9-4 and play in the regional finals, I would have said you were crazy.

“But now that we got here and we lost four games by a touchdown or less, it’s one of those could of, would have, should have things.”

Mohawk mania

Many Shawnee players sported Mohawk haircuts under their helmets. Meeks said the Shawnee code of conduct prohibits Mohawks, but the players got special permission to get them for this game.

If the Braves had won, they could have kept them into next week, but now they have to shave them.

Next year

Even though the Braves lose some key players to graduation, including quarterback Evan Storts, there’s hope for 2010.

“We figured to be honest that we would be better next year than this year,” Meeks said. “Yeah, we do lose some key guys. We lose a couple of big linemen. We lose Evan. We lose Kris (Hanaway), the fullback. But we’ve got (Steve) Sarven, Xavier Jordan back. There’ll be question marks, but we’ve got some good young sophomores and freshmen who will fill those roles very well. But they’ll be unknown.”

History lesson

Shawnee has been to the playoffs three times in school history.

Twice it has made the regional finals (2005 and 2009), both times under head coach Rick Meeks. Shawnee lost 7-0 to Clyde in the 2005 Region 10 final.

Wyoming has been to the playoffs 17 times. The Cowboys last made the state semifinals in 1998. The Cowboys won the 1977 Class AA state title.

Little room to run

Steven Sarven led the Braves with 38 yards rushing. Kris Hanaway had 35, and Evan Storts 33.

Storts had 111 yards passing, but none in the first half.

Xavier Jordan was the top producer, with 69 yards on three catches, including the 41-yard bomb that set up the Braves’ only score.

Right place, right time

Eric DeWitt’s fumble recovery in the second quarter was his fourth of the season. No other player on the roster had more than one.

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