Playing dead can sometimes fool bears—unless they’re wearing football helmets.
Muskie head coach Mike Gurski sensed the energy level of his ‘C’ squad wasn’t where it should have been the minute his players disembarked from the bus Tuesday afternoon in Baudette.
His instincts proved correct as the host Bears clawed the Muskies 30-0 in exhibition play.
“They came off the bus kind of ‘blah,’” said Gurski, whose inexperienced team was in tough against the Bears’ all-Grade 7 roster. “The guys really got their eyes opened.
“We had some missed tackles, and didn’t follow through with our blocks. We also had penalties for offsides and motion in the backfield that hurt us,” he added.
“The teams down here are playing nine-man football from the time they’re in Grade 4. You can’t make mistakes against a team like this,” Gurski stressed.
The Muskies moved the ball well in the middle of the field, but failed to convert any of their drives once they got into scoring range.
Running back Jordan York earned Gurski appreciation for a yeoman’s effort in keying the Muskies’ rushing attack.
“Jordan had an amazing game and was a real horse out there,” said Gurski. “There were times he had what seemed like the whole other team on his back and he was still making progress.
“If he stays with football, he’s going to be a powerful tool for the Muskies in the years to come,” he added.
The game ground to an abrupt halt in the second quarter when Muskie running back Aaron Kadikoff suffered a concussion after being tackled. He was taken from the field by ambulance.
“Aaron gained about four yards and then got popped,” recalled Gurski. “He’s had a concussion before so we want to be careful with him. He’s out for the rest of the season.”
Plans for a match-up against the Littlefork-Big Falls Vikings sometime next week still were being worked on as of press time today.
