Central Indians aim to reignite season against Excelsior Springs
By Calvin Silvers
News-Press NOW’s Game of the Week, spotlights the Week 8’s matchup of the visiting Excelsior Springs Tigers as they try to rain on Central’s homecoming parade. Both teams enter this contest with losing records, falling short of the winning streaks they had hoped for.
However, with just two weeks until district play begins, now is the time for both squads to hit the ground running and seize a couple of crucial victories. The Indians head into their homecoming matchup with a 3-4 record, having kicked off the season with three straight wins before stumbling in their last four contests.
“Just knowing how to win and how to lose, like we know what we did in the losses and how to correct it and play a full four quarters,” senior Jayden Shifflet said.
Head coach Sheldon Farrell referred to that challenging four-game stretch as a “gauntlet,” but emphasized that the team gained valuable insights about themselves, even in the face of adversity.
“We really learned about each other more and learned about why each of us are all playing,” junior Kanon Wetlaufer said. “Some of us aren’t going anywhere and they just want to play here and we’re all still a big family and we’ll keep playing for each other.”
The recent struggle to tally wins can be attributed to a lack of depth at certain positions and an inability to maintain momentum after halftime.
To keep morale and focus high, the coaching staff decided to shake up the tempo and structure of practice, aiming to reignite the team’s spirit as they prepare for the upcoming district games.
“We’ve done stuff in the morning, we’ve done stuff, you know, reverse of what we’ve traditionally done, just to switch it up, just to keep them on their toes,” Farrell said. “In the game of football, everything’s about swings, momentum, so you’ve got to be ready.”
Excelsior Springs enters the matchup with a 2-5 overall record, having both notched victories against Winnetonka and Grandview. However, the Tigers are implementing a new offensive scheme that spreads out their athletic receivers.
Despite this, Central is determined to extend their winning streak in the series to three straight games.
“A little bit of both, they’re still going to have some athletes,” Shifflett said. “It’s just going to be in a different scheme and a different system, and we’re going to look to do the same thing we’ve been doing.”
To counter the uncertainty of facing a new offense, the Indians will rely on the support of a homecoming crowd, marking their first home game in two weeks.
“It’s fun to come back home, I think this year we’ve played better at home than on the road, I think it’s just we’re familiar with it,” Farrell said. “It’s something we’re comfortable with, you know, there’s been a lot of excitement.”
What’s more important for Central is the ability to start a win streak ahead of district play, as the next two games are against opponents with a combined four total wins, a great chance to build confidence.
“It would be really good for us to build that confidence back up going into the playoffs and just being at a high team morale and being confident in the guy next to you,” Shifflett said.
