Disappointed? Yes. Heartbroken? No. Optimistic? TO THE MOON!!

Well the Kingfisher Yellowjackets opened the season on the road in sultry, dog food scented Clinton. The Jackets opened the game on defense and managed a takeaway that led to a touchdown and missed PAT. That was the extent of scoring for the Jackets and for the less seasoned casual observer it was a bad loss.

However, dear readers, you and I are NOT casual observers. While there were many plays where obvious assignments were missed or plays ran incorrectly, these are things that can be a quick fix. Opening day jitters happen to everyone and last night was an example of that. For example, sophomore Bert Haag missed his block on a crucial play deep in our own territory but after the series senior Noah Friesen was seen on the sideline talking with Haag and reminding him of what the blocking scheme was on that play. Senior Kyle Borelli, whose true defensive position is unavailable this year due to a back injury last season, played with reckless abandon on offense and he too was seen on the sidelines giving words of advice to younger teammates. Quite possibly the most exciting display was from the gentle giant, Wrigley Kennedy.

It was no surprise that Clinton was cheap shotting all night, the Big Wrig had enough and after one play got up and sprinted to the referee (more on referees later) to explain what had just transpired. Again, to the casual fan this may not seem as a notable event but to a longtime follower of Kennedy- this is definitely something that opens your eyes and makes you sit back and eagerly wait to see how this plays out. If we get to see a fired up and aggressive Wrig, watch out. This kid can cause some serious issues on both sides of the ball.

QB Jax Sternberger really didn’t have opportunities to highlight his arm other than threading the needle with a bullet pass to Paytun Burnham for the only Jacket score of the game. RBs Dallen Barton and Ethan Karcher showed that they have the potential to make big plays. Harrison Evans and Jake Regan also gave us a taste of what’s to come this season.

All in all, it would be easy to walk away thinking negatively about last night’s performance but thankfully, I am here for you dear readers, to peel back the layers and provide insight to the finer points of the game. Next game will be at home versus the Weatherford Eagles. I’m sure we will see a much improved Jacket team.

Now to the referees, dammit they are an easy target. They were bad on both sides which generally is what you kind of hope for, but gross incompetence was on display last night. Now, I won’t get into too much detail due to possible repercussions but suffice to say, they could have and should have been much better. However, it was opening night for them as well so let’s hope they are able to evaluate, adjust and become better.