Published: October 12, 2008 10:31 pm            

Gut-check time for slumping Falcons

CHARLESTON — Sophomore free safety J.J. Mayer was visibly upset in Fairmont State’s locker room following the Falcons' 21-7 road loss to Charleston here Saturday afternoon.

FSU sophomore quarterback Vick Bradford didn’t leave the sidelines until a good 10 minutes after the rest of his teammates had departed after the loss. He strode sullenly, helmet still on, toward the Falcon dressing room, more than likely contemplating things he could have done differently which may have changed the game's outcome.

Those were just two of many signs of frustration and disappointment displayed by the Falcons, who have dropped three games in a row and have seen a promising 3-1 start to the season turn into a 3-4 overall record with four games left to play.

“This is a time where the leaders are going to arise for us on this team,” said FSU coach Mike Lopez. “We ask our guys all of the time to do the absolute best they can and not to worry about the things they can’t control. We told them in the huddle after the game, ‘You can’t predict your payday. The only guarantee in life is if you quit, you will fail.’”

That’s one of Lopez’s favorite sayings and it’s something he believes in wholeheartedly. Something else he believes in is his football team.

“There’s an awful lot of guys on this football team who want to win so badly that it hurts them a lot when we don’t,” said Lopez. “There’s a sense of urgency for us, which is good, but they want success and want it now. It’s a progression for us. We’re still young and learning as a coaching staff and we’re young and learning as a team.

“Right now is when we need some leadership from guys like Nate Black, David Hill, Vick Bradford, Perry Baker, Stephan Johnson and others because we’re at a point where some people may want to stray from us because they have some doubts. But make no doubt. The sun is going to shine in Fairmont very, very soon. Our program is on the rise. We lost today to what I think is a national playoff caliber team. I honestly believe Charleston has the talent to make a serious run at the playoffs this year.

“We were right there with them for most of the game, but we didn’t take advantage of opportunities when we had them and it cost us. Certainly, we didn’t want to miss the field goals or get them blocked and we wanted to do a better job in the red zone, but I wouldn’t trade our team for any other. I love these guys. I believe in them and like I said brighter days are ahead for us.”

Lopez isn’t the only coach who believes that. UC coach Tony DeMeo says he thinks this year’s version of the Falcons is the best he’s seen in his four years with the Golden Eagles.

“They’re a good football team. I’m serious,” said DeMeo. “They’re much improved over recent years.

“They play hard and they don’t quit. They make you execute on offense and they’re becoming harder to defend. That’s a reflection of Mike. He’s a good coach. Trust me, I don’t say stuff like that unless I mean it. That’s why I get in trouble some times. If I don’t think someone is a good coach, I don’t say it. He’s a very good, young coach and he’s got that program headed in the right direction.”

FSU, which only has four seniors on its roster, is actually one game better than it was a year ago when it was 2-5 after the first seven games. The 2007 Falcons ran the table, winning four in a row to finish at 6-5.

This fall, FSU has a chance to better its win total by one game, but it won’t be easy with the likes of St. Joseph’s, West Virginia Wesleyan, league-leading Seton Hill and Concord remaining on the schedule.

        

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