CRESWELL – With only three games remaining in the 2023 season, Creswell Bulldogs head coach Scott Worsham is looking ahead to competing in the final games – an outlook one might expect after a 41-6 loss to Sisters this past Friday, the team’s fifth straight defeat.
“I told them there’s three weeks left, let’s make those the best three weeks of the season,” said Worsham, who said he’s optimistic the Bulldogs can finish out strong. “Let’s keep coming out and working hard. If I were a senior, I’d want to come out here and just play hard; the window of time playing football is closing, so let’s make the most of it.”
Most immediately, Creswell visits Harrisburg next week, its first opportunity to end the season on a strong note.
“I’m looking forward to Harrisburg. I know they throw the ball real well; they played Siuslaw tough a week or two ago,” Worsham said. “They’re gonna come out and play; they’re probably hungry to beat us, so we have to make sure we really lock in this week.”
Worsham stressed that the Bulldogs need to play with greater consistency on both sides of the ball.
“At times I thought we were good, there were times where our offense moved the ball and it looked a lot better than it looked the past few weeks,” he said following the loss to Sisters. “Then at times we were undisciplined, we had some bad snaps and some bad meshes on the quarterback and running back. Defensively, again, at times we stopped them, and at times I think they just wanted it more than we did.”
Ball security was a big issue Friday night for the Bulldogs, who had four turnovers and two turnovers-on-downs. On the flip side, the Bulldogs defense allowed only 46 yards passing, recorded an interception by Jaydon Warthen, and forced two turnover-on-downs of their own.
“I like our aggressiveness. Our linebackers do a great job of filling gaps, they’re a great tackling group,” Worsham said. “The tough thing is the defense is on the field more than the offense, and they get worn down throughout the game, which makes it tough on us.”
The stats backed up Worsham’s comments. The Bulldogs allowed 7 yards per play in the second half after allowing only 5.4 yards per play in the first half. Sisters’ running game is a strength for the Outlaws, who finished with 314 rushing yards among six different rushers.
Yards were much harder to come by for the Bulldogs, who recorded 191 total yards of offense to achieve their lone touchdown, a 26-yard run from quarterback Darien Dewey in the second quarter.
Creswell top performers: Darien Dewey, 11-for-21, 116 yards, 2 INTs, 40 rushing yards, 1 touchdown; Tyler Bowers, 5 catches, 69 yards; Jaydon Warthen, 7 tackles, 1 INT; Sage Bader, 9.5 tackles.
