Semifinals: Kearney at WC

This is a week old now, but I don't want to get accused of not having anything to say when the Cards don't win.

If you missed it, Kearney rolled into WC and walked out with a 38-13 win. I'll confine this to comments only, no play by play:
- Kearney earned this win. They were big and physical, more so than I thought they would be.
- WC was in it at halftime and I thought would have a chance to win in the second half - they tend to be a 2nd half team, but not on this day. Rather than wearing down, the offensive and defensive lines for Kearney seemed to get stronger in the 3rd quarter. Kearney seized the momentum and rolled on.
- Kearney did add a late touchdown that probably wasn't necessary - up 31-13 with a couple of minutes left Kearney had their 1-Offense in there and decided to throw deep. Whatever, stuff happens.

Now, my editorial comments:
- The loss snapped a 28-game winning streak for Webb. That was going to happen at some point. No one needs to dwell on this. Losses for the Cards have a tendency spur them on to accomplishment.
- The loss was the first for WC in the new Cardinal Stadium (well, 3-years old now). Also bound to happen and given that Kearney is a very good team, if you're going to lose a winning streak or a home game at least it was to a worthy opponent who deserved to win the game that day.
- I have noticed that there are some people around town that tend to take pleasure in watching WC lose. That's okay, I even understand, I love watching OU lose. Here's where I want to draw an important distinction:

1. No one needs to be concerned for the community or fans of WC that they (we) didn't win a 9th championship in 2009. Certainly they (we) have celebrated more than our share.

2. BUT...Please be respectful of the young men who spent 10 years working toward their 1 shot at a title and didn't win. They are no more deserving than any other team or group, but their disappointment is real and they take little comfort in the fact that 8 other WC teams in the last 21 years have won a state title. While most of the 2009 Cards have a ring from 2008, few of them played a key role in that win (though there certainly are a few who did).

3. So, if you need to rejoice that WC didn't win, that's fine, but be respectful of the players. They worked hard and had a great season.

4. I have also noticed a tendency of the WC fan-base not to support their non-championship teams the same way they do the ones that do win. I get that you are going to celebrate a championship differently than a semi-final or state finals loss, but these boys worked as hard as the others did and they conducted themselves (off-field incidents aside, other teams have those issues too) just as admirably as others have. If you watched them on Saturday you saw that there was no quit in them. They never gave up. There is disappointment (in the outcome, NOT the players) in not making a victorious trip to the Dome, but no shame and anyone who suggests that the 2009 Cards are a disappointment or for some reason weren't worthy needs to check themselves. That's not being a good fan, that's placing unrealistic expectations (specifically that they should win a state title every year - watch "Friday Night Lights" and get back to me) on high school kids.

For WC the lights are out on the 2009 football season, but that just means we move on to other sports and eventually turn our attention to the 2010 season.