Drew Meerveld
Special to CFL.ca
The dynamic of the relationship between a defence and an offence is an interesting one…
Football may be the epitome of a team sport but playing on opposite sides of the ball can create a natural division between the two parties – especially when things aren’t going well. The lackluster performance by the offence in the first two games had could have very easily led to divisiveness in the locker room but to the defence’s credit, they had remained patient and encouraging.
So when we stepped out on the field on Friday night – we stepped out together. This is something, I can assure you, doesn’t have to be the case, especially after tallying only three points in 120 minutes of football.
I think the feeling of pulling one’s own weight is a strong motivator. So when the offence finally punched in a score midway through the first quarter against Guelph, everyone was able to take a deep breath. The evening served as a reminder that we could move the ball effectively and score points. 450 yards and 25 points later the offence was finally walking with a little bit of swagger again.
Unfortunately though, at the end of the day we lost. Of course there are positives one can draw from Friday evening’s game, but as we gathered for a post game breakdown in the locker room, we were reminded by Coach DeLaval of something we already knew – it’s not good enough to just be competitive.
There was a time in the not so distant past of this program’s history where being competitive for three quarters provided almost the same sense of accomplishment as a win. That time has passed.
There’s a week of practice ahead before we welcome Ottawa to Varsity under the lights on Friday night.
See you there.
For more information on the Varsity Blues football team you can visit their website at VarsityBlues.ca.
