Demons refocused for Falcons

With high expectations flooding in early in the season, this isn?t where Washington expected to be with three games remaining.

Ranked as high as No. 1 by some preseason polls, the Demons appeared to be a lock for the postseason. After their second loss of the season, they have some work to do.

?We all know what needs to be done,? Washington senior Karlton Skubal said. ?We just need to go out there with our everything. This is our last shot in high school for football, so we have to go hard.?

Keokuk spoiled the Demons? homecoming on Friday night, coming to Case Field and handing Washington a shocking 16-12 loss, which drastically affected their postseason chances.

Now, with two losses, the Demons will need to win out and get some help to get into the postseason.

Keokuk, who also has two losses, holds the head-to-head advantage over the Demons, but a key matchup this week with Oskaloosa (one loss in district play) could help the Demons out if the Indians can pull out the victory.

If that scenario plays out (along with a Demon win over West Burlington), Washington will face Oskaloosa next week, and a Demon victory would put them in line for the second spot in the district with one game to go.

There are also two at-large bids available in Class 3A, but the Demons won?t be looking to rely on that for the postseason.

With the Demons seemingly on the ropes right now, they aren?t going to be fazed moving forward.

?I don?t think anything has changed much,? Washington junior running back Jack Redlinger said. ?We are still the same old Washington Demons that we?ve been. We just need to start coming out and start playing more of the game we love.?

With only three weeks left, the importance of these contests certainly isn?t lost on the team, and head coach Garrison Carter noted that he has seen his squad step up in the face of adversity this week.

?I?m really happy with the way we practiced (on Tuesday),? Carter said. ?You learn a lot more about a team after a loss than you do a win, and I thought that showed. We had a few kids hanging their heads over the weekend, but we are ready for West Burlington.?

The athletes echoed that sentiment.

?We can?t come in every game thinking we are going to win every game,? Redlinger said. ?We have to come in with some swagger every time and have confidence. We have to play as the team we are. We have talent.?

?We have to go all out,? Skubal added. ?It?s go time.?

Running to daylight

As the season has worn on, the Washington football team has seen its pair of young running backs steadily gain steam throughout the season, leading to career nights for the Demon backs on Friday night.

Junior Jack Redlinger set his career-high mark with a 134-yard rushing performance against Keokuk, something he credits to his offensive line.

?We can?t be playmakers or have those rushing yards without their push,? Redlinger said. ?They open those holes. It?s fun to run the ball.?

Redlinger has been averaging nearly 7 yards per carry this season, accounting for a pair of rushing scores.

He has been complemented in the backfield by sophomore Tristin Westphal-Edwards, who matched his career-high 61 yards against Keokuk, and is averaging 6.6 yards per carry this year.

?Coming in as a sophomore, it?s been real fun,? Westphal-Edwards said. ?I have to thank my line. They are they ones who start every rush and they get the game going for me. It was a good game and we?ll come out stronger next time.?

With the pair of Demons gaining steam, they will be looking to get on a roll as Washington looks to make a playoff push.

?The big thing for them is, coming into this year, neither one of them had any varsity carries,? Carter said. ?It took them a few games to understand running the ball at the varsity level and it took a few games for our line to really click and they?ve been good all season, but they are really coming together now, and make us really effective running the football.?

Scouting Week 7

West Burlington will bring the athletes, that?s for sure.

The Falcons will have a number of top track athletes on the field for the contest, headlined by Isaiah Trousil, who is averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

The Falcons won?t be afraid to air the ball out on Friday night, with sophomore quarterback Drake Day having thrown for 1,068 yards this season, notching 10 touchdown passes on the season, with senior receiver Tate Snodgrass picking up four of those receptions.

Despite falling in their last two contests, the Falcons will also be fighting for their playoff lives, as they sit in the same position the Demons do.

With losses to Keokuk and Mt. Pleasant on their resume, the Falcons will be looking to rebound and make their case for a postseason berth.

?We need to do what we do well,? Carter said. ?We need to run the ball and be physical up front. Then we need to take our shots when they are there. We need to be efficient offensively. We need to slow down their athletes and control the line of scrimmage.?

Kickoff

The Demons will kick off against West Burlington at 7:30 p.m. at Case Field on Friday.