"The Turnaround": Ready for Cooper

by Jason Strunk
Lubbock High School Head Coach

We had a cold front move in today. Practice was nice and refreshing, a huge change of pace or us. The heat, especially on the turf, can be unrelenting. The gray overcast skies were also a nice change. Actually, it felt more like a practice in Pennsylvania yesterday during this time of year. The temps were in the low 60's. I would take that every day!

The welcomed cool weather provided a boost in our energy. Very crisp, sound practice today. I have really been liking our Thursday approach to practice. All we need to do now is transfer Thursday into Friday nights. It is easier said then done. However, like I have said all week, we are close to busting out of this. Right at the top of the hill, teetering on success. Once it tips in our favor, watch out. These kids are hungry! They want to succeed and they want to taste victory!

After practice we marched up to the team dining hall and our weekly spaghetti dinner. It is amazing to watch the amount of food these guys consume. Even more amazing is the relationships that are being forged on this team. There is a sense of family in pride in tht team dining hall. It is fun to watch this grow.

Good news...our black jersey's (the one's shipped off for repairs) arrived back in Lubbock today. That means we are going all black tonight. The kids really get pumped when we go all black. Let's hoepe this helps in some fashion tomorrow night!

Concussion Rules...I have fielded numerous questions this week about concussion rules, particularly about helmets coming off during play. In case you missed it last week, our RB, Brandon Hernandez (200 total yards), carried the ball down to the 1 yard line late in the 4th quarter.  Unfortunatley, for us, his helmet popped off. Once a helmet comes off during play, it is MANDATED that the player leave the field of play for at least one snap. 

You cannot call a timeout in this instance. The player must sit for a single snap. There is nothing I could have done in this scenario. Brandon's helmet came off and he had to come out. We didn't score... but we should have. From the 1 yard line you need to be able to score with anybody on your roster. Sure, it hurt not having Brandon in, but the bottom line is we didn't score and it was there to score. The blame is on us, not a rule.

Tomorrow is game day!! Time to get after it!!


Editor's Note: Lubbock plays Cooper tonight. The Westerners are looking to snap their 24-game losing streak.