Flashes trying to break out of offensive slump

Published 10:55 am Thursday, October 10, 2024

In the past two weeks, St. Aloysius has scored in a few different ways.

It has kicked field goals. It returned a kickoff for a touchdown. It even had a safety.

The one thing missing from the list is an offensive touchdown, and it’s something head coach Walker Mosby knows needs to change in a hurry.

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“It sucks when everything else is clicking and then it’s the offense,” said Mosby, who calls the team’s offensive plays. “You look at Central Hinds, and if we can score two or three touchdowns it’s a whole different ballgame. If we can score last week it’s a whole different ballgame. We didn’t, and that’s my fault.”

St. Al snapped a 23-game losing streak with a 19-6 win over Clinton Christian on Sept. 20. It ran for 320 yards in that game, and has been effective on offense in other outings when it sticks to that plan.

In the last two games — a 21-13 loss to Central Hinds and a 41-5 loss to Riverfield ­— Mosby said he’s gotten away from what works. He wants to return to it when the Flashes (1-6) host Columbia Academy (4-4) Friday at 7 p.m. for homecoming.

“We played Clinton Christian and we ran the football, and this past week and the week before that I got out of it. That was dumb on my part,” Mosby said. “I’ve got to have us an offensive identity. I think we’ve always had it, and it’s running the football consistently and being good at it. I’m frustrated with it, just like the kids are. We’re a good football team all the way around. We’ve just got to figure it out offensively.”

Mosby added some praise for his defense, which has played well in both recent losses. Although the score got out of hand against Riverfield, St. Al led at the end of the first quarter and only trailed 7-5 at halftime. The offense’s struggles kept the defense on the field, and Riverfield eventually wore them down.

Mosby said he wants to keep that part of the equation and add a little bit of offensive punch to balance it out.

“Some teams can put up 40-something points and give up 35 points. We’re not that team,” Mosby said. “Let’s hold them to a touchdown or two — or less, hoppefully — and let’s put up three, four touchdowns ourselves and win the football game and control the clock.”

St. Al is entering its final three-game stretch with a clear path to the postseason. Although it only has one win, thanks to the MAIS’ power points formula it currently holds the No. 9 seed in the Class 4A bracket. The top 12 teams qualify.

Mosby would like to add to the win total before the playoffs start.

“I don’t want to get in with one win. I want to get in with more than one win. I’m ready to continue to compete and fight,” Mosby said. “I haven’t even checked the power point rankings. I’m just trying to win each week and put my guys in the best position that we can possibly be in. If we win football games, we won’t ever have to check the power point rankings because we know we’ll be in.”

FRIDAY’S AREA GAMES
All games start at 7 p.m.
Columbia Academy at St. Aloysius (Radio: 101.3 FM)
Neshoba Central at Vicksburg (Radio: 107.7 FM)
Columbus Christian at Porter’s Chapel (Radio: 104.5 FM)
Tallulah Academy at Prentiss Christian
Wesson at Port Gibson
Madison Parish at Rayville

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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