After last week’s 0-90 loss to Widener University, the Wilkes football team is looking to put the past behind them and move on.
Sitting at (2-2) on the season, Coach Frank Sheptock said the Colonels know what is needed of them in order to succeed.
“We need to embrace the adversity we went through, we need to learn from it and grow from it,” said Sheptock. “The next step is to focus on what we can control this week from a preparation standpoint. Practice, film study and team unity, adversity teaches us we need each other.”
With six games remaining on the schedule, the team is still optimistic about getting back on track.
Last year, Wilkes beat Widener 35-27 and ruined their chance at the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship. Was this beating revenge for last year? Many people think it may be. However, Widener Head Coach Isaac Collins states otherwise.
“I’m 100 percent opposed to someone scoring 90 points in a game,” Collins said in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Regardless of the score, Coach Sheptock and Coack Collins shook hands at the end of the game and the Colonels walked off the field with their heads up.
Coach Sheptock zeroed in on a few areas the team will look to improve on and wants the recent loss to be motivation for the future.
“We need to improve on being opportunistic with offense scoring chances, and defensive big play opportunities on 3rd and 4th down,” said Sheptock. “We need to handle the momentum swings of games with more consistency and improve in red zone scoring. We didn’t play very well fundamentally but we had done well in that area in the first two games.”
Sheptock said the athletes are eager to improve.
“I met with the team, and many of them individually as well – they are disappointed but anxious to take the field again. They understand what we went through doesn’t define who we are, it was a tough day, but together we are pulling through. This is a group of committed student athletes whom take great pride in representing Wilkes-University and the Colonel football program. They are learning to control what they can control – we controlled how we would respond – together and focused. We will be back!”
When the Colonels took the field on Sept. 29 against FDU-Florham, it was clear their heads were on straight. Wilkes put up a school record 667 total yards in the 37-27 victory.
Everything Coach Sheptock said the team needed to improve on was corrected and perfected. Adding to impressive day, Coach Sheptock sealed his 100th career win as head coach for Wilkes University.
Wilkes takes on Misericordia next Saturday in a home game at 1 p.m. and will try to improve to (3-2) on the year.
