Disappointment a product of high expectations
Jeremy Heath

First, let's get the full disclosure out of the way here.

I barely know Badger head football coach Ryan Bailey. He barely knows me. I don't owe him any favors, nor does he owe me any. I plan on keeping it that way.

I've always tried to keep my relationships with coaches cordial, yet professional. It makes it easier to write the truth about a coach's team when there's no emotional attachment.

That said, as I made my way back up U.S. Highway 281 last Friday night, I felt for Bailey. I just had a feeling he wasn't going to get much sleep after the 21-0 shutout at Marble Falls.

There was something different about his demeanor after the game. After each of the three previous losses, Bailey seemed almost excited. And for good reason. The defense played its tail off in two of the three games, the special teams play was solid each week, and there was at least something positive about each offensive performance. I got the feeling Bailey knew it was just a matter of time before his team put it all together in one game.

That didn't happen on Friday.

The defense played pretty well. The special teams was adequate. The offense, however, shot itself in the foot time and time again. Every time something started to work offensively, someone would make a mistake and kill whatever momentum was gained.

PHOTO BY DARRELL BROOKS The LHS offense had trouble sustaining drives in the loss at Marble Falls. On this third-quarter play, Melvin Batiste found a huge hole for an 11-yard gain. On the following play, Batiste had to jump on a loose shotgun snap and lost nine.

After the game, Bailey didn't seem mad or disgusted.

He seemed disappointed.

Trust me on this. I know what disappointment looks like. When I was a kid, I gave my parents many a reason to be disappointed. It wasn't that I was a total goofup. I did my share of things to make them proud. It was more that they had high expectations for me.

They knew my potential and expected me to live up to it. When I didn't, it hurt them. It hurt them because they knew by failing to live up to my potential, I was hurting myself.

I think that's what the coach was experiencing Friday.

Win or lose, he expected a good showing. He truly thought his team was close to turning the corner.

Bailey is not delusional or stupid. In fact, he comes across as quite bright. He knows he doesn't have the talent or depth to compete for a district title, but it's obvious he believes he has the talent to compete for a playoff spot -- even after Friday's performance. In short, he knows this group's potential, and he wants to see that potential achieved. That's all any coach wants.

It'll be the same thing when Burnet rolls into town tonight. No matter the outcome, if Bailey and his assistants walk off the field tonight knowing their kids gave Burnet their very best shot, they won't be disappointed. Mad? Maybe. But coaches can deal with mad. Disappointment's a different story.

Let's grade the Marble Falls game.

Defense, A-Minus: Get rid of the Mustangs' 13-play, 65-yard drive to open the game, and this was an A-Plus performance.

The unit isn't producing turnovers with the same frequency it did the first two weeks, but overall it's actually playing better. Despite giving up a lot of weight up front to the Mustangs, the Badger D forced five punts. It did give up a couple of third-down conversions and a fourth-down conversion, but it limited big plays and made outstanding quarterback Thor Woerner and his offense earn the 274 yards they gained.

Special Teams, B-Minus: This group has been pretty good all year, but a couple of mistakes tainted an otherwise solid performance.

A missed first-half field goal was the first of several momentum killers, and a short punt early in the game gave the Mustangs a field-position advantage.

On the plus side, punter Seth Fry rebounded to get off some good boots, and his 20-yard run on a fourth-and-long fake punt was the longest running play of the night for the Badgers.

Offense, C-Minus: One step forward and two steps back.

The offensive line opened holes, and for three quarters it was effective in pass protection. The running backs hit some holes and ran hard. Both Jarrod Bowen and Vann Millican made some outstanding throws at times.

The problem? Consistency. For every positive play made, there was a negative play to counteract it. If this group can learn to remain focused on every play, it has the ability to put together some scoring drives. That'll give the defense a little more rest between series. The defense is capable of making big plays when it's fresh.

That's exactly what it will take to beat Burnet tonight. Perhaps more importantly, that's exactly what it will take for this team to live up to the high expectations Bailey has for it.

Jeremy Heath is the Dispatch Record's sports editor. His column appears Fridays. He can be contacted via e-mail at jheath@lampasas.com.