By STEPHEN MONAHAN
Register Staff Writer
LINDSAY — The Lindsay Knights are hurting.
Three key players to the Knights offensive attack will not be playing in this week’s Class A Divison II regional final against Albany, the No. 1 ranked team in the state.
Running back Ryan Haverkamp and receiver John Block went down with injuries in last Friday’s win over Munday. Running back Frankie Cornett had emergency surgery to remove his appendix early Sunday morning, so he too is out.
Needless to say the Knights are scrambling to fill holes left by the injury bug.
Or are they?
Surprisingly to some, Lindsay coach Cody Bounds doesn’t seem to think so.
“They realize that they’re a team,” Bounds said of his Knights, who boast a gawdy 12-1 record. “We’ve been preaching that all year. I hope building on that team philosophy and not relying on one or two people has got us to the point where we can go and play Albany and have success.”
The Knights need something to bring their team together, to rally the troops so to speak, because Albany has yet to lose this season.
At 12-0, the Lions have showcased why they are the team to beat. In last week’s match up with Muenster, Albany handed the Hornets their worst loss of the season — 41-0. Lindsay beat Muenster in the annual Kraut Bowl rivalry game 21-14.
Albany finished last season at 14-1 as a state semi-finalist in Division II. While losing 12 letterman from last year’s team, coach Bounds has every reason to believe this Lions team is even better than last season.
That prediction starts up front with Albany’s offensive line.
“Albany’s a great program,” he said. “They’re big. I think the strength of their team is their (offensive) line. They’ve got a tailback that’s just a work horse. It’s going to be a tough game no matter how you look at it.”
But just because Albany is a tough opponent doesn’t mean Bounds’ Knights are backing down, especially not because of its recent laundry list of injuries.
“We’re four rounds deep and one of the final eight teams in the State of Texas,” he said. “(Our opponents) should be good. I want them to be good. We’ve got our work cut out for us, but I think our kids are going to be ready to play hard.”
Will Taylor, injured in the Tolar game, is another key ingredient missing, but that hasn’t halted the Knights defense from backing down. Also, senior Ross Jones has missed some time as a receiver, a member of the secondary and at kicker.
Filling in for the newly injured players will be Josh Mueller and Robert Arend at running back and Jordan Lane at receiver.
But for Bounds, he trusts those guys to get the job done Friday night.
“I think Josh has been the unsung hero of this team,” Bounds said. “He’s the heart and soul. Robert’s super fast and quick and a hard-working kid. I expect them to go out and play (hard) and I don’t think we’ll miss a beat.”
Three rounds deep in the playoffs and the Knights are allowing opponents just 14 points per game while the offense is averaging 37 points in the postseason.
Bounds attributes his defensive success to stopping the ground game.
“Anytime you get this deep if you stop the run you have a better chance to win,” he said.
But none of this would be possible, Bounds said, if his team, early on in the season had not decided it wanted to put the “we” in team.
“Before (S&S;) we had some kids check their egos at the door,” Bounds said. “It’s hard for teenagers to do that because they want to be the (go-to guy). From that game on, they became a team. I think that attitude and everything about being a team is coming through this week. Win, lose or draw I couldn’t be happier with a group of kids than I am right now.”
Jones, a preseason all-state selection at kicker by Texas Football magazine, said he felt the team really came together when it rallied around Taylor, whose father came down with an illness.
Since then, Jones feels the team has never been better.
“Ever since we’ve been doing stuff for Will Taylor’s family,” Jones said, “around the Petrolia game, we’ve been coming together (as a team).”
If Lindsay appears to be the underdog, they are. If it looks like all is lost against Albany, think again.
Bounds believes in his team and coaching staff to get the job done Friday in Aledo.
Getting his players to buy into that is another story.
But Bounds isn’t worried because he feels this underdog has some bite remaining.
“I called all of my coaches Sunday night and said ‘Look, we’ve got to be psychologists this week. Our kids have got to believe they can still win,’” he said. “I’ve been extremely proud of my kids with all the adversity that we’ve had injury wise. Our kids believe in their hearts that they can win and that they are a team. We’ve built ourselves around that.”
Kick off for Friday’s game is 7:30 p.m.
