Eagles flatten Mountaineers but aren’t satsified

Despite a 35-13 win over Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, the Eagles players said they still aren’t satisfied about their performance.

“We did some good things at Western,” team captain and quarterback Jonn McLain, junior of Chadron, said. “But I feel we can still improve.”

McLain completed 22 of 29 passes for 242 yards against WSCU, posting a 75.9 percent completion rating.

Complementing McLain on the opposite side of the ball was defensive back Ryan Wood, redshirt freshman of Stockton, Calif., who posted five tackles, knocked down a pass, and pulled in an interception. The tandem’s performance earned both men Nebraska Division II Football Players of the Week.

For the second consecutive week, the team moved up in the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, this time from 19 to 17. It also jumped in the American Football Coaches Association Poll, from 21 to 19.

In addition to McLain’s and Wood’s play, tailback Glen Clinton, senior of Cody, Wyo., rushed for more than a 100 yards for the fourth week in a row, posting 114 yards on 26 carries against WSCU’s Mountaineers.

But he’s still not satisfied.

“We are still working on putting together a complete game,” Clinton said. “Last week, we came away with the win, but we could have played much better.”

Saturday’s homecoming game at Elliott Field features the Eagles versus the 3-1 Grizzlies of Adams State University, Alamosa, Colo. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m.

Inside linebacker Shea Koch, senior of Custer, S.D., talked about the upcoming game.

“We just need to do our job out there and play Eagle football and we will be successful,” he said.

Clinton said Adams State is a good team, much improved in recent years, but he also said he expects the Eagles to play solid football against them.

“We are concentrating on playing quality Chadron State football for the whole 60 minutes to win this game,” he said.

As far as playing a homecoming game this week, it “is an exciting week for the school and players,” Clinton said. “But in the end, it is just like every other game.”