Both Anson’s varsity and JV football teams lost to Monroe last week.
The varsity team was down from the beginning of the game on Friday night, eventually losing 35-7.
Monroe made 14 points in the first quarter to Anson’s 0, though when Monroe failed to make a touchdown in the second quarter, Anson made a touchdown and PAT, putting Monroe ahead at halftime by 14-7.
Things went downhill for Anson in the third quarter, when Monroe made 21 more points and Anson failed to make another touchdown. Although neither team managed to make a touchdown in the final quarter, Anson lost 35-7.
JV
The JV team suffered a similar loss on Thursday. Monroe made three touchdowns and two two-point conversions, putting them ahead at halftime by 22-0.
In the third quarter, Monroe made another touchdown but failed an attempted two-point conversion. They made one more touchdown in the final quarter, but fumbled when attempting a two-point conversion. Anson made it’s sole touchdown in the final quarter, giving Monroe the win 34-6.
Coach Ralph Jackson encouraged the team after the loss, saying that while a win would be nice, the true goal is to use the experience as one of their “building blocks for the future.”
Encouraging teens to think of their future in the face of a loss can be difficult. “The thing about all that is, is that as a leader, you have to live that,” Jackson said. “If I come around here always moping, agitated, they know it’s not about the future, okay? So, my personality is that they get a smile and a handshake from me everyday, because those guys are our future, and I believe in everything that we’re doing, and I believe in these kids.”
September marks the seventh month that he’s been working with them. “We’re moving forward and I want them to be a part of it,” Jackson said. “So if they buy in, we’re going to have some championships here in Anson County if they buy in.”
Although Anson isn’t experiencing those championships right now, Jackson is taking it in stride. “I’m not disappointed at all in their progress, I’m not, because these guys didn’t run anything last year that we’re running this year, okay?” he said. “So, they’re making steps forward on the JV level and the varsity level, so there’s no disappointment there at all, because I see the jar half-full instead of half-empty, you know? We’re moving up, not down. We haven’t lost anything, we haven’t lost anyone, so now we’re just trying to make sure we build those kids up.”
To Jackson, building the kids up takes more than practice on the field. “We need to make sure they know the weight room is important, the team is important, and the biggest thing about what we’re doing altogether is school-building,” Jackson said. “Academics. Behavior. And as I told you before, they’re buying into that, so yeah, this matters to me right now, but that’s not the most important thing. They’re doing everything right on the other side, in that building, and that’s the most important part right now,” he added, gesturing toward the main school building.”
Respect both on and off the field is another part of it. “They know if I hear of [disrespect] there’s consequences,” Jackson said. “So they will be corrected immediately if I hear. So, that just lets me know that they are looking down the road with me, because they’re changing now, believing that ‘by me changing now, we’re going to get better as we progress.’”
Overall: “I’m very, very pleased.”
The JV team will face Parkwood at Anson High School on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Varsity will play at Parkwood High School on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
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