Homecoming ‘mojo’ slips away

Maybe New Hampton didn’t have Waukon right where they wanted the Indians, but the Chickasaws, after putting together a magnificent 99-yard drive, capped by Ryan Pickar's 11-yard touchdown run, were feeling pretty good about themselves late in the first half of Friday’s homecoming game.
Down 12-7, knowing they’d get the ball to start the second half, all in all, the Chickasaws may not have been sitting pretty but they were definitely in the game.
And then came the backbreaker — a Waukon three-play, 78-yard drive that gave the Indians a 20-7 halftime lead.
“We were so jacked up, coach [Scott] Frerichs was really pumped, we all were,” senior Cade Murray said after New Hampton dropped a 34-14 decision to the Indians in the Class 2A, District 4 opener for both teams.
“And then they got that score. That hurt. I mean 12-7 is a lot different than 20-7 mentally, if that makes any sense.”Frerichs agreed.
“That certainly hurt. We had great momentum, that drive was outstanding,” he said, “and then 47 seconds later, they kind of took the wind out of our sails. That was tough. … But I do think the game was closer than that score indicated. We did a lot of good things, but we have to be better at finishing off series — both defensively and offensively.”
— For more on this story, see the Sept. 15 Tribune