COMMENTARY: Cowboys have second chance to defeat Rockets
Oct. 27—The Abilene Cowboys will face off against the Rose Hill Rockets in their first home playoff game since 2018. The last time the Cowboys were on their turf in the Playoffs they lost to the Ulysses Tigers 28-0.
The ironic story about that game was that the Cowboys had just beaten Ulysses at home the week prior 26-20 on a game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Jackson Randles to wide receiver Chase Mason.
Needless to say, Abilene has been disappointing in the state playoffs as they haven't won a playoff game since that glorified 2015-2016 season when they were a field goal kick away from the state championship, but I'm here to tell you that this time around could be different.
How can this game be different? Simple, new coaching staff, new more explosive offense, and their matchup could be in their favor this year. I know we lost to Rose Hill earlier in the season 16-12, but I'm willing to believe that was more of a fluke. No disrespect to the Rockets but they were 1-3 when they played us and they finished the season with a 3-5 record.
Now, both teams are coming off of deflating losses in their final regular season games. The question is, how will either team respond? Abilene just got raided 49-0 last week against division rival Wamego, and Rose Hill lost 29-7 to the respectable Wellington Crusaders.
This is how Abilene should respond: HITS. Now, call it elementary but there is a simple acronym that is a blueprint for team success. HITS stands for hustle, intensity, turnovers, and smarts. Sounds like a cliche from an old sports movie but there is proof in the pudding, let's dive in.
First of all, I would like to say that I am thoroughly pleased with the hustle and intensity this young Cowboys team has, that shouldn't be in question. They play with such vigor and spunk that it's almost impossible not to match that same energy in the stands. All of that said, the last two letters are what killed the Cowboys in their last outing vs. the Rockets from Rose Hill.
They had five turnovers, and there were many times that they just seemed out of place or lost on both sides of the ball. Secondly, Abilene has to try and stay out of those third and difficult situations. The Cowboys went 4-12 on third-down conversions against Rose Hill. Like free throws in basketball, that stat is what usually decides football games, especially the close ones.
Some may not think it, but there is an advantage to getting hot at the right time. We saw the 2017-2018 Philadelphia Eagles led by Nick Foles win a Super Bowl over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. We also saw the Cincinnati Bengals catch fire during the final stretch of the season last year, which took them to the Super Bowl when they were supposed to be a bottom-tier team in the NFL. I also believe that the youth of the Cowboys can be more of an advantage than some would think.
In the miraculous world of sports, being young and naive can be used as a strength. So, they don't have a lot of impact seniors or major D1 recruits. Who cares? Many times in sports history, we have seen younger, less experienced teams become problematic for the older, more experienced programs.
An example includes the Baby Bulls in the 2008-2009 playoffs when the rookie Derrick Rose led the Chicago Bulls to take the defending champion Boston Celtics and their big three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen to a full seven-game series which included multiple overtime games. It's all about not letting the moment be too big.
Now is not the time to become green Abilene. Why don't we snag a win this Friday and see where the momentum takes us? Not only would it be good for this season, but for next season as well, as we should have a lot of returning starters to the team, and getting a win in the playoffs will only sharpen the iron that is Abilene Cowboys football.
Jayshaun Jones is an AHS alum that currently writes for the Reflector-Chronicle.
