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DO OR DIE: GCCC season on the line at Fort Scott
Published 11/3/2007 in Sports : GCCC By Tony Adame
All season long, Garden City Community College coach Lucas Aslin has talked to his team about making it to the Region VI title game. In the bigger picture, he's presented the Broncbusters with a series of challenges. Be better students. Be better teammates. Return Garden City to past glories.
This week, the message from Aslin to his players wasn't as all-encompassing.
"I told the guys that we talked a lot all year, and now it's time to back it up," Aslin said. "They know that no matter what happens I'm going to be proud of what they accomplished this year, but they know me and I know them. I'll never be happy with losing and I know them well enough to know they won't be, either."
For the Broncbusters, winning Sunday at Fort Scott (8-1) in the first round of the Region VI playoffs isn't just a must-win, it's a do-or-die scenario.
Garden City (7-2) lost to the Greyhounds, 24-20, last week in Garden City, ensuring a trip to Fort Scott for the first round of the playoffs. If Garden City wants to return to a bowl game for the first time since 2005, it must win Sunday.
With only four NJCAA bowl games, the eight spots are usually at a premium. This year is no different.
"It's been a lot more emotion at practice this week, mainly because we feel like we should have won last week," said Garden City running back Maurice Greer. "We felt like we had to play catch-up the whole game."
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Garden City Community College head football coach Lucas Aslin talks with his players at the conclusion of a practice in August.
The Broncbusters led 20-17 late in the fourth quarter before Fort Scott quarterback Greg Cross led his team on a 65-yard game winning drive. The Greyhounds had a subdued celebration after the game, as head coach Jeff Sims quickly reminded them that the same team watching them celebrate at the other end of the field was the same team they would face the next Sunday.
"It's kind of a weird feeling," Cross said after the game. "You're happy you won, but man, you got to turn around and play that same team in a week. Garden City's got some great players."
Fort Scott's rushing attack was led by Rodney Lovett, who notched 139 yards on 13 carries and scored a touchdown. The Greyhound defense also sacked Garden City quarterback Eugene Smith seven times, including twice on the Busters game-ending drive.
"I thought Eugene got hit a few times and it forced him to rush some throws," Aslin said. "On the other hand, we need to do a better job of picking up blitzes."
Greer thinks his teammates understand the gravity of Sunday's showdown.
"All year long a lot of people didn't expect much from us," Greer said. "They didn't expect us to get very far because we've got a new coach and a lot of new faces. This is a good unit and our main focus is to get this win Sunday."
Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
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