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Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009

Sean Lynch: Merced College football looking for meaning

A championship is the ultimate goal of every team.

But the reality is that only one squad can achieve that goal at season's end.

Most coaches will tell you a successful season means playing meaningful games late into the year. Win or lose, playing in games that matter leave the team better prepared for if and when it faces that situation in future seasons.

The Merced College football team has reached the point in its season where things can go either way. A crossroads, if you will.

The Blue Devils' 29-27 loss to Cabrillo on Saturday, and Modesto Junior College's shocking 36-20 defeat to Chabot leaves Laney (2-0 Golden Gate Conference, 5-2) as the only team in the GGC without a loss.

Merced College (1-1 CC, 3-4) will travel to Oakland on Friday evening to face off with Laney.

Sure, a loss to Laney doesn't completely dash the Blue Devils' bowl hopes, but it would certainly complicate them. MC would have to win out and rely on a lot of help in the final two weeks of the season, with no guarantees.

That makes Friday's showdown a virtual must-win. If Kaanapu's squad wants to have important games right to the finish, and more importantly control its own title fate, MC will have to hand Laney just its second home loss of the season.

"The way it's worked out is you have four teams with one loss and one team with no losses," Kaanapu said. "If we win, we're in the driver's seat. Laney has the toughest part of its schedule coming up.

"If we lose, then we'd have to win out and have some other things go our way.

"We've talked with our kids about 'Here's Plan A, and here's Plan B for the next three weeks,' and they've responded to it."

Making Plan A a reality won't be an easy task.

The Eagles have one of the most prolific offenses the Blue Devils will have faced all season, averaging 380 yards per game.

And MC comes into the contest somewhat short-handed with offensive lineman Rondell Morgan and defensive lineman Haven Tuisamatatele suspended for their parts in a first-half fight at Cabrillo.

Both players were suspended one game by the California Community College Athletic Association for being ejected from the game, but Kaanapu has dished out harsher penalties.

"There was an altercation that occurred in the second quarter against Cabrillo with Rondell on the field and Haven coming in from the sideline," Kaanapu said. "Both have been suspended from the program. Rondell is going to miss two games and Haven is going to be suspended for the rest of the year.

"Our players are going to be held to a higher standard and we don't want this program associated with that kind of thing.

"We've told these kids all along that they need to be accountable for their actions.

"Sometimes kids need to see actions and not just hear about them."

MC also has to deal with preparing for Laney on a short week, but Kaanapu said that's proven to be a blessing in disguise.

"Its allowed us to move on quickly from something that was very hard," Kaanapu said. "Two of the things we told the kids at the beginning of the year was that we wanted to compete for four quarters and we wanted them to finish.

"Well, if you look at three of our losses, we were right there battling in the fourth quarter. That's going to produce a lot of emotion."

MC's problem has been falling behind and then having to battle back.

It's a trend that will have to change against a Laney squad that has made a habit of jumping out to big leads early and holding on.

The Blue Devils have reached their season's crossroads. Friday night they decide where they go from here.

Sean Lynch is a Sun-Star sports writer. He can be reached at 385-2476 or via e-mail at slynch@mercedsun-star.com.