Commitment to the grind helps Georgetown overcome early struggles

Monotonous in nature, the notion of preparing for another day of football practice can sometimes take a bit of motivation.

A veteran in the coaching ranks, Ken Cribb fully comprehends the toll a long, grueling gridiron season can take on both coaches and players. But much like marriage, it takes commitment and a willingness to do whatever possible to make it work.

“I liken football sometimes to a honeymoon and marriage … the longer you are in it, the more of a grind it can be,” he said. “If you’re not willing to commit to making it as good as it can be, it’ll never work — and that’s why you see so many divorces today. But if you’re willing to stick it out, it’s amazing the rewards that can come from it.”

Such devotion doesn’t necessarily happen overnight … it takes time. Worse, when unforeseen obstacles are placed in the way, it becomes much more difficult to accomplish.

Coming in on the heels of Bradley Adams — the football program’s most successful coach — who left to take the Union County job, Cribb took over the Georgetown football program knowing such would be the case. What he didn’t know was everything else it would take.

From the start of spring training, the injury bug hit the Bulldogs hard, something that would follow them well into summer drills and the first few weeks of the 2016 gridiron campaign.

But bad times don’t last, especially for those willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.

Those difficult times seem a long time ago for Georgetown, the squad having clinched a winning season and Friday night can earn a home playoff game with a win over Lake City.

“We started giving better effort, and had a few things go our way,” Cribb said. “That led to us gaining a little bit of confidence, and hopefully know now we can play with anybody (in the state). Anyone can beat us on a given night, but we can also play with anyone on a given night.”

While not blessed with the manpower other rosters enjoy, the Bulldogs counter by bringing their lunch pail to practice each day. Some of that approach is seen in the team’s game plan, consisting largely upon its ability to move opponents against their will.

“They’re good, I mean really good,” said Aynor football coach Jody Jenerette, whose team lost to Georgetown earlier this season. “They play with such a physicality, especially up front that is hard to match.”

Such violence at the point of attack has specifically benefited the Georgetown ground attack, rushing for 1,457 yards on the season and 14 touchdowns.

“We don’t have a lot of depth, so early injuries somewhat made things a tad worse for us. But I think those weeks off (for Hurricane Matthew) were a blessing in disguise,” Cribb said. “But our game plan has always been to be physical and run the football. It all starts up front with our offensive line, though. We’ve been fortunate the kids have played well all year.

“If they do their job well, I can run the ball through the holes they make. They’ve done a mighty good job for us.”

An emphasis on the run has also opened things up in the team’s passing game, as first-year quarterback Tyler McAlister has completed more than half his passes for 1,078 yards and 13 touchdowns — among the best on the Grand Strand.

“It’s his first year starting for us, his senior year at that,” the Georgetown coach said. “He’s done what we’ve asked, and he’s done well this season.”

The Bulldogs are doing their part to put the clamp down on opposing offenses, as well.

Only Conway and Dillon have scored more than 20 points on them. Opposing ball carriers have found trouble navigating through a tough Georgetown defensive front, averaging just over two yards per attempt.

Changing expectations is only part of the matter … keeping them there is another. During his time at Hemingway, Cribb’s teams regularly played deep into the month of November, often receiving the distinct honor of practicing on Thanksgiving.

He has a similar desire for Georgetown, wanting it to become a perennial player in regard to playoff berths and region titles.

Everything has a starting point, and in some ways that begins with Friday night. But for as much as Cribb wants it for himself, he wants it more for the Georgetown football program.

“These are good kids. They do what you’ve asked of them, and are a lot of fun to be around,” he said. “But Lake City is a good football team, and some of their strengths may be some of our weaknesses. I just hope we come ready to play, and make them have to earn everything they get.”

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Commitment to the grind helps Georgetown overcome early struggles."