Busters ready to move forward after loss to Fort Scott

Published 9/27/2008 in Sports : GCCC

By MIKE KESSINGER

mkessinger@gctelegram.com

Two games into the Jayhawk Conference schedule and the Garden City Community College Broncbusters are in a spot no team wants to be in. Last.

One look at the Broncbusters conference schedule after two games though, starting against last year's one and two finishers in the overall standing, won't leave many teams smiling either to see Butler and Fort Scott as the first two conference games on the schedule. It is what it is, and no one on the Garden City (2-2, 0-2) side will complain, especially now that there's still plenty of football to be played.

"Practices have been good. We just have to keep moving forward, and keep trying to win games from here on out," GCCC head coach Lucas Aslin said. "We're 2-2 right now, and we're 0-2 in the conference and that's not a very good thing for us. But it's early, and we have on paper played the best two teams in the conference."

It's the positive way the Busters can look at the situation that they may have played the best two teams in the conference. It's just a matter of rebounding, and by the end of the season making a run through the Jayhawk Conference playoffs.

"From a long way out, in my opinion we have to win at least four of the last five," Aslin said. "You have to win four of the next five to have a chance at the playoffs. That doesn't guarantee you a chance, but if you win the rest of them you feel like you have a pretty good chance to make the playoffs."

Garden City's road to get back on track starts today in Shulthis Stadium and Emmot Field at Independence. This is the Busters second straight game on the east side of the state, and it is the second 1 p.m. start. The first three games were all night games.

Before the Busters believe the schedule becomes easier, Independence may be a reason not to believe the notion. The Pirates (2-1) are 2-0 in conference play with their wins over Dodge City (16-7) and Highland (13-7). The Pirates lone loss was to Tyler (Texas) Community College 28-14 in the season opener.

"We have to watch out for them," Aslin said of Independence. "They have a lot of good players on the defensive side of the ball. They're big and fast, and they do a lot of good things. We have to do a good job offensively, gain yards, and defensively we've got to try and keep them out of the end zone."

Against a defensive unit that has given up just two touchdowns in its last two games, the Busters will need to avoid turnovers, a problem that hurt Garden City a week ago in its 31-24 loss at Fort Scott. The Busters turned the ball over five times. The turnover that hurt the most came in the fourth quarter when Garden City quarterback Eugene Smith fumbled at the 2-yard line and the Greyhounds returned it 98 yards for a touchdown. It was a 14-point swing that cost the Busters a chance at tying the game 24-24.

In its first three games, Independence has given up a combined offensive total 500 yards on the defensive side, but have not recorded an interception. Offensively, the Pirates may not look like a very potent offense averaging just 14 points, but Aslin warns that can be deceiving. One player Aslin points to is the Pirates' wide receiver Andre Simmons who has 13 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown this season. Quarterback Jeffery Schibi was passed for 372 yards with three touchdowns, but has been intercepted four times.

"They have a really good receiver in Andre Simmons, he's really good," Aslin said. "There's a lot of things we have to make sure we have to take care of to win."

As long as his team keeps its focus, Aslin said he feels confident the Busters can bounce back and make a run toward the playoffs down the stretch.

"There could have been a letdown if we would have gone 2-0 against (Butler and Fort Scott) or maybe even 1-1," Aslin said. "There can't be a letdown. If there is a letdown we're in major trouble."

Welcome!    

Today's events •  Weekly Events

Submit An Event

Telegram Featured Video