FOOTBALL PREVIEW: BLINN AT NEO
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
With three games remaining in the regular season, the Blinn College football team sees opportunity on the horizon.
The Buccaneers are still within reach of a Southwest Junior College Football Conference playoff spot and can take a step toward their desired destination this weekend. Blinn (3-3, 1-3 SWJCFC) visits Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (1-5, 1-3) for a pivotal conference showdown at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Miami, Okla.
With games against NEO, Kilgore College, and Cisco College remaining, the Buccaneers control their own destiny. If Blinn wins out, it will automatically qualify for one of four SWJCFC conference tournament berths. Heading into Saturday, Cisco holds the fourth spot, while Blinn, NEO, New Mexico Military Institute, and Kilgore are looking to shoulder their way back into contention.
“We have three very important games in front of us,” Bucs head coach Ryan Mahon said. “From this point on, we control how our season is going to go. You feel very fortunate as a team that has played the tough schedule we've had to be in it this late in the season. Now we have to regroup and go get the job done.”
Blinn opened the season 3-0 before running into a tough three-game skid against nationally ranked Navarro College (No. 11), Trinity Valley Community College (No. 8), and Tyler Junior College (No. 3).
The Bucs then went into a welcome bye in week eight, just in time for players in key positions to get healthy for the stretch run. Among those players is starting quarterback Jack Emerson, who missed almost three full games after sustaining an injury against Navarro on Sept. 27.
“I’m just chomping at the bit to get back out there and help my team compete,” Emerson said. “Being on the sidelines is tough because you want to be out there with your guys, but it also gives you an opportunity to see and understand things from a different lens than you would if you were actually in the middle of everything. I’m definitely looking forward to getting back to work with that new perspective.”
Blinn also returns standout freshman running backs Jordan Hayes and Lorenn Johnson.
“Getting healthy was the most important part of the bye week, and the time off gave a lot of guys extended opportunities to heal up and be ready for what’s ahead,” Mahon explained. “Have we had a tough stretch? Yes, but with the pieces we’ve been able to add back into the equation, we really like our chances moving forward.”
The Golden Norsemen own a 26-19 victory over Cisco, but have otherwise stumbled in conference losses to Navarro, Tyler, and New Mexico Military. NEO has a conference-low 17 touchdowns on the season and is averaging just 20.5 points per game. On the other side of the football, the Norsemen are surrendering 31 points per outing.
“They are a disciplined, well-coached team, they just haven’t had a lot go their way,” Mahon said. “Their record isn’t indicative of the talent they have on both sides of the football; they’ve been in every game they’ve played. It’s our job to avoid taking them lightly and to make sure we’re ready to make plays for 60 minutes.”