The Montezuma-Cortez Panthers (1-4) have a winnable game on the horizon.
But in order for the Panthers to tally their first conference victory on Friday against Pagosa Springs (1-4), they’ll have to execute better on offense than they did against Gunnison.
Last week against Gunnison, the Panthers defense kept them in the game, and their only score came defensively from a Cordell Ridings pick-six in the first quarter.
As bright as their defense was, the offense was bleak.
The Panthers struggled to move the ball at all, and with first downs hard to come by, they were unable to put together any long scoring drives.
Much of the struggle was brought on by Gunnison’s defense, but the Panthers aren’t free of all responsibility.
Quarterback Ridings was under constant pressure and was sacked multiple times, so this week, the Panthers have been working hard with the offensive line in order to protect Ridings against Pagosa Springs.
Interim head coach Scott Conklin also said that they have been working with Ridings on “quick, short passing routes and getting rid of the ball quick,” as well as “reading where the blitz is coming from.”
M-CHS can lean on its defense to help keep them in games – and it should be fine against a Pirates team that lacks offensive firepower – but the Panthers can’t rely on their defense to win them games.
It will be up to the offense to put points on the board.
The Panthers travel to Pagosa Springs on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff with the Pirates.
