In this week’s Cardinal Podcast, Michael Hannigan sat down with Head Coach Sherard Poteete to talk about last week’s 30-14 win over Kilgore and this Saturday’s road game at New Mexico Military Institute. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Central (2 p.m. Mountain).
Finding Ways to Win
The Cardinals made it four straight victories last week, overcoming a long weather delay and a short-handed roster to take down Kilgore on the road. “Our guys have just found a way to win, taking it one day at a time, one game at a time,” Coach Poteete said. “You can’t win six games on Saturday. You can only win one. And so, they’ve done a great job the last four weeks of doing it one day at a time, one game at a time, one practice at a time.”
Coach Poteete said that mindset helped the team handle a difficult day at Kilgore. “We didn’t play with our two probably most productive guys, stat-wise, at defensive line,” Coach Poteete said. “But we gave up 41 yards passing. So, somebody stepped up into that role.”
The Cardinals weathered a 63-minute lightning delay and returned to finish strong. “You get to the two-minute warning there in the second quarter and we have an hour and five minutes, hour and three-minute rain, lightning delay,” Coach Poteete said. “All that’s new and different and just changes the way you interact when you get into a rhythm or into a routine during a game. And then we played the second half, and man, when that sun popped out, it was hot and steamy.”
Staying Focused on the Road
The Cardinals face their longest road trip of the season this week, traveling roughly nine hours to Roswell, New Mexico. “Can our guys be locked in once we get done with Thursday’s practice to hop on a bus and handle the bus ride and then staying all night and then getting up and handling game day there?” Coach Poteete said.
Coach Poteete said the challenge will be maintaining focus through the long travel schedule. “We’ve had a few good days of practice this week,” Coach Poteete said. “Can we finish up the week focused? That’s the main thing—can we just be locked in, focused on what is in front of us?”
Scouting NMMI
The Broncos bring an old-school approach on offense that stands out in today’s game. “They can milk the clock and they can run the football,” Coach Poteete said. “If they can control the ball offensively, it puts a little pressure on the opposing team’s offense. The most snaps they’ve given up this year to the opposing team is 59 plays.”
“They’re going to line up underneath the center,” Coach Poteete said. “Holy cow, right? No shotgun. They’re going to actually have a fullback, a tight end, a guy in the I. They’re going to do all kinds of stuff that you don’t see anymore.”
Coach Poteete said their offense has been effective with that approach. “They put up 45 points last week running the football, multiple formations, they hit a few big screens,” Coach Poteete said. “They’ve proven and shown that they can put points on the board.”
Defensive Confidence
The Cardinals’ defense continues to be one of the best in the conference, allowing 20 points or fewer in every game this season. “If we can continue to do that, then obviously that bodes well for us,” Coach Poteete said. “If we can just keep on holding teams down, then it makes it easier on the offense to go put some points on the board.”
Facing a Multiple Defense
On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals expect to see a variety of looks from NMMI’s defense. “They’re going to give us a multiple look,” Coach Poteete said. “They primarily play with a two-man shell, but their fronts—they’re going to overload some sides. They’re going to base out of a 3-4 look, but they’re going to make that 3-4 look a lot different ways by walking up linebackers, shifting them over, walking backers up, walking backers down.”
The key will be communication up front. “Can we be on our P’s and Q’s?” Coach Poteete said. “Can we know who’s coming and then kind of sort that out once the ball’s snapped?”
This Week
* Saturday, Oct. 25 – TVCC at New Mexico Military Institute, 3 p.m. Central / 2 p.m. Mountain
* You can watch the game here.
