RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesVERDIGRIS — The difference between playing in November and watching from home can be painfully small.
Verdigris learned that lesson last season. The Cardinals did what they could down the stretch, closing the year with a victory, but results elsewhere ultimately kept them out of the playoffs.
Rather than dwell on circumstances they couldn't control, second-year coach Justin Morsey wants a veteran group to make sure its fate stays in its own hands this fall.
With 10 starters returning on offense, nine on defense and a 15-player senior class leading the way, Verdigris enters the season believing the next step is there for the taking.
The Cardinals just aren't interested in looking that far ahead. Their goal each week is much simpler: Go 1-0.
“I think at the beginning of last year, none of us kind of knew what to expect,” Morsey said. “We were all hopeful, but it made it real for them that we were that close [to making the playoffs] last year because we continued to get better. With how far they've come, we've got to continue to go that far this year if we want to reach our goals.”
OVERVIEW
“Hard, smart, tough.”
Those three words have become the foundation of what Morsey wants Verdigris football to represent.
Playing hard is about effort. Playing smart requires understanding assignments and situations. Being tough encompasses the mental and physical resilience necessary to survive a football season.
“If you play harder, smarter and tougher for longer, you're going to win,” Morsey said. “We always talk about going ‘1-0.’ We don't want to look too far into the future. We want to go 1-0 today. We want to go 1-0 this week.”
That is particularly relevant after the way last season ended.
Verdigris remained in the playoff hunt until the end but needed help elsewhere to qualify. The necessary results didn't come, leaving the Cardinals on the outside despite finishing their season with a 35-0 victory over rival Sequoyah.
Morsey said he believes that win still mattered because it provided positive momentum for a returning group that saw how close it came.
“Other than winning a state championship, it's kind of the only time you get to end the season on a win,” Morsey said. “I think it brought us some positive momentum into the offseason and made those guys hungry for reaching those goals this next year.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Much of the Cardinals' optimism begins with an offense that returns almost intact.
Jensen Underwood is back at quarterback after adding about 25 pounds during an offseason in which his development has been both mental and physical. With another year in the system, Morsey expects him to have greater command of the offense.
He will have plenty of familiar options.
Peyton Stelling returns after powering the team with 1,311 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns on 221 carries while adding 30 receptions for 365 yards. Ayden Collins and Sebastion Villalobos, who is up to more than 200 pounds, give Verdigris additional options in the backfield.
“He is every bit as good as the numbers say that he is, and I think he probably deserves a little bit more publicity,” Morsey said of Stelling.
Bret Schauffler, Braxton Dean and Ethan Hushbeck give Underwood an experienced receiving corps, with Charter Zeimet and Tate Roller providing options at tight end.
Up front, Dawson Shanholtzer will be counted upon to lead an offensive line tasked with giving all of those weapons room to operate.
“He’s started every game for two years, and with that kind of experience and leadership, he's done a great job developing,” Morsey said. “He's kind of the leader of our weight-room culture.”
The experience isn't limited to offense.
Nine starters return defensively, with Luke Boren among the versatile pieces Morsey can utilize as the Cardinals try to turn their experience into a more consistent unit.
Instead of teaching an almost entirely new group how to compete at the varsity level, Verdigris can spend more time refining what an established group already knows.
“That's been the problem here, is we've not had very big senior classes for a long time, and now we've got 15 seniors,” Morsey said. “They're a fun group of guys to be around, and they've bought into everything that we want to do. It's fun to come to work every day.”
The program has the experienced players. It has growing community support. It even has a new video board shining over the field.
Now the Cardinals have to make sure the results on that scoreboard keep the momentum going.
“We hope we give them a lot of stuff to put on there,” Morsey said. “When you've got a bunch of guys coming back and they've won some games, and then you get a new scoreboard, it just feels like everything for us is pointing in the right direction.”
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