KEOKUK – After Fort Madison gave up the “County Seat” with a 60-7 loss at Calvert Stadium Friday night, Fort Madison Head Coach Derek Doherty told the Hounds in a very quick post game chat, to reflect and remember.
Remember the loss and how it feels, take snap shots of what was happening around in them in the post-game and store it away.
The Hounds fell to 0-6 with the loss and are struggling to find answers to a season full of disconnect and disappointment.
Doherty said the Hounds aren't getting wrapped up in scores, but fighting through what the year has become.
“We just ask them to fight. That’s all we ask them for,” he said.
“We don’t care about outcomes, we care about how we do things. That’s where the frustration comes. We’re asking them to do the right thing all the time, every snap and you can’t take one off or this can happen over and over.
“I hope our kids take this in stock. Take mental snapshots and if you don’t like it, change it.”
The Hounds went toe to toe with the Chiefs early on with both teams getting defensive stops through about half of the first quarter.
Both teams were forced out on either a punt or turnover on downs on their first two possessions.
On Fort Madison’s third possession Keokuk had backed the Hounds up to a 4th and 20 at their own 20 when a snap sailed over punter Henry Graham’s head and bumbled out the back of the endzone for a safety. It would be the first of the two safeties the Hounds would give up on the night.
After Keokuk’s free kick they drove to the Hounds 1-yard line, but Cliff Stewart wrapped up Keokuk quarterback Brenton Hoard, who fumbled as his forearm hit the ground. Fort Madison’s Galvin Callahan recovered at the Fort Madison 9, but Fort Madison, who struggled all night to get any offense going, was stymied again.
Proof of that is in quarterback Marcus Guzman’s stat line. The mainstay of the Bloodhound offense ran 15 times for 1 net yard and a touchdown. He was also 14-26 for 100 yards and two interceptions.
Guzman had a 3-yard touchdown plunge with the game completely out of hand and a running clock in the 4th quarter. That drive was the Hounds best of the night going 86 yards in 12 plays. The Chiefs were whistled for an unsportsmanlike penalty and a holding penalty on the same play giving the Hounds a 25-yard boost on 2nd and 8. Guzman would find Brody Cashman on a 17-yard catch and run to the 3 setting up Guzman’s run.
The rest of the night belonged to the Chiefs. Hoard threw seven touchdown passes on the night including a 37-yard strike to Chayce Smith on 2nd and 7 with a 53-6 lead in the 4th quarter. The senior threw for over 400 yards on the night in the lopsided win.
Cashman finished with 75 yards on eight catches. He was targeted 15 times. Noah Swigart caught all six of his targets for 30 yards. Fort Madison had just eight yards rushing on 18 total carries.
Doherty said the Hounds haven’t learned yet how to fight back.
“We got put on our heels right away and we weren’t committed to fighting back. If we can come out and get going we’re ready to go, but it’s the face of adversity that this group hasn’t figured out yet,” he said.
“We’re gonna keep fighting for them and we’re going to keep plugging away.”
He said the staff had a great game plan and had a good read on the Chiefs' offense, but several Keokuk touchdown passes were right up the center of the Hounds secondary in blown coverages.
“We were calling out their plays before they ran them but you have to execute. I don’t know what the answer is. God I wish I had it,” he said.
“It looked like our first day of playing football. But these guys ran it all week perfect. They knew exactly where they needed to be, and then we get in the game and all of a sudden we’ve got our deep guys running into the flats. Maybe they just don’t trust others to do their job.
“We have to figure out where the confusion is. They are not showing up to make us mad, but I don’t know, again, where the disconnect is.”
Cashman led the Hounds defensively with five tackles. Marshall Heitman had 3.5 tackles.
Fort Madison faces another steep hill next Friday with a trip to Mt. Vernon at the Martha Parsons Athletic Complex at 7 p.m.
Fort Madison then returns home for Homecoming on Oct. 18th against Mt. Pleasant and then wrap up the season on Oct. 25 at home against Washington.
The Chiefs improve to 3-3 overall and 3-1 in Class 3A District 4 with the win.
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