Four years ago this September, the Averett football class of 2010-2011 was introduced to college football with a 75-7 thrashing at the hands of perennial Division III powerhouse Mt. Union. The Cougars went on to lose their next nine games and finish the season 0-10.
With their backs against the wall, that class of freshmen and coach
Mike Dunlevy had to rebuild. They turned things around and finished 5-5 in 2008 before finishing 7-3 and playing for a USA South Conference Championship in 2009. Coming into the 2010 season, they were expected to be a major force in the USA South.
“These guys have been through a lot and meant a lot to this football team,” Dunlevy said. “They made sure we reestablished ourselves in the conference.”
Now, with only two regular season games left in their final season at Averett, the senior class finds themselves in a familiar position with their backs against the wall once again. After going 4-1 to start the season, the Cougars (5-3, 3-2 USA South) have lost two of their last three and are in danger of watching the USA South title slip away for the second year in a row.
After losing to Shenandoah 24-14 last week in Winchester, the Cougars need to win out and need Christopher Newport to lose a game. Since it has no bearing on the outcome of CNU's two final regular season games, Averett has focused all of its attention on Ferrum College, who it will face Saturday at 1 p.m. on Senior Day at the Cougar Den.
“It only makes sense to worry about what we can do because that is all we can control,” said
Jeremy Dixon, a senior wide receiver playing in his final home game. “If they lose, they lose and if they don't this is a situation we put ourselves in. We can only control what we do. If they lose and we lose, it doesn't matter, so we really shouldn't key on what they're doing.”'
The fact that the only thing Averett can control is its own game is something Dunlevy has been trying to emphasize with the team this week. It started in the locker room minutes after the Cougars' loss to Shenandoah last weekend. It isn't mathematically impossible for the Cougars to take the USA South and, according to the ninth-year head coach, this season is far from over.
“Obviously, we were very disappointed after the Shenandoah game,” Dunlevy said. “As I explained to them after the game, it was a disappointing loss but not all hope is lost. There is a lot that can happen in the next two weeks, but we just have to take care of ourselves.
“That is all we can control and let the chips fall where they do,” he said. “The last thing you want to do is get disappointed that you had an opportunity to win a football game and a championship and lose it by thinking you don't have any chance. I don't think our kids are approaching it that way.”
If offensive lineman
#Phil Blaising# is any indication, the players still have faith and aren't letting any outside distractions, including the fact that Blaising, Dixon and 15 others seniors are playing in their final home game, take their attention away from the Ferrum Panthers.
“There is no different mindset,” Blaising said. “It's still a game, it's still a part of the season. I won't work harder in this game because I work hard in every single game. It's not going to be anything different for us. We're still going to work hard and accomplish what we need to accomplish.”
One of the keys this week for Averett was to put the Shenandoah game behind them and move on. The perseverance and experience of the senior class set a firm example of how to not get caught up in the past. Because of the firm example, people came to practice this week ready to play football.
“After a loss, everybody is dejected,” Dixon said. “Guys were down about it because they know how big it was. I haven't had to go around and get people up because there are still two games left in the season and in football, anything can happen.”
There haven't been any dramatic, "Remember The Titans"-style speeches or fiery outbursts by the team captains. The team leaders have just showed up to practice and continued to work hard.
“It's the way they go out and approach day-to-day practice,” Dunlevy said. “Some people don't say much, it's just their work ethic and their approach and how they push. It's not always the guy that says something or screams or yells, it's about seeing what they do and getting motivated that way.”
Perhaps it is fitting that the class that came into the program in a jam will have to battle back to go out on top. Adversity seems to be a common theme for this year's seniors, but after facing it four so many seasons, facing it may be what this team does best.
“The guys that persevere, like these seniors, are the ones that are reaping the rewards of success,” Dunlevy said. “Even though things may have started different from how they wanted them to, maybe they will end the one they want it to.
“They're a group that has been through adversity so this is not the first time they've had to play with their backs against the wall,” he said. “They understand how to come back and how to put themselves in a position to be successful.”
