On Sept. 19, the Emerson Mavericks beat the Denison Yellow Jackets. The final score was 31-21. The game was located at The Star and started at 7:00 p.m. Both teams fought hard to keep the lead, but the Mavericks established better offensive plays that ultimately affected the score of the game.

During the first quarter Emerson’s offense struggled with getting ten yards for a first down. The Mavericks’ fourth down was a punt, which gave the ball back to Denison. However, the Mavs defense intercepted the ball, allowing number 24, Roman Edwards, 11, to score. Not long after, number seven, T.J. Smith, 12, intercepted Denison’s pass, resulting in a touchdown. Denison and Emerson went back and forth with yardage, with both teams struggling with incomplete passes. The Mavericks got another interception and touchdown, with a new score of 21-0, Emerson winning.

The Maverick’s momentum was halted as their offense fumbled, giving the Yellow Jackets the perfect opportunity to score. Jordan Flores, the offensive coach for the varsity and freshman teams, emphasized the need for learning after a big loss to Walnut Grove.

“Coming after a loss it is really important to stay positive and just keep manning the ship and letting the athletes know that’s not the end of the world,” Flores said. So as long as we’re developing as athletes and as a team, then that’s all that matters.”  

Both teams struggled with holding onto the ball, but the Mavs were able to improve as the game progressed. 

“The biggest part of [being] a team captain, a leader, is making sure everyone, no matter if it was a good or bad play, keeps on moving forward and keeps their head in the game,” Brandon Clemens, 12, defensive team captain said. 

The Mavericks made sure that there was structure in their plays and that everyone knew what to do, using frequent time out opportunities to discuss with each other.

“We got the win this week, as we knew they were going to do a lot of trip plays [and] onside kicks. And so it helped us prepare,” Clemens said.

After half time both the Yellow Jackets and the Mavericks struggled to move up the field towards the end zone. Denison had a breakaway interception, scoring a touchdown, although it was not enough to secure a win. 

The outcome of the game was a way for the players and the coaches to improve after a previous loss, but the team is still looking to grow.

“I want to work on specifically just getting the team to fight for each other and just know that there’s a bigger goal at hand,” Flores said.