Tag Archives: Galena Bulldogs

2021 PIGSKIN PREVIEW: Where we were right and wrong

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We put out our annual pigskin preview every August – and in that, we have our predictions for the season.

This year was a tough year for predictions with COVID, schedule changes, new coaches and good teams all over the place.

Like every year, we got some right and we got some wrong – and we have no problem admitting we whiffed hard on a few this season.

WRONG: COC standings

We got the top four teams in the COC right, but we messed up the order big time.

I thought Nixa would win it and they finished third. I thought Carthage would finish third and they won it, going 9-0 in the regular season.

We had Joplin 4th and they finished 2nd behind the Tigers.

We had Webb City 2nd and they finished 4th. I don’t regret it or feel bad about it. They went on to win it all. It is what it is.

RIGHT: Lamar Tigers

I almost feel bad taking credit for this because it was a no-brainer, but we had the Lamar tigers going 9-0 and that’s what they did.

Not only that, but it wasn’t really close.

Lamar won their regular season games by an average of 38 points-per-game. The Tigers finished as the Missouri Class 2 state runner-up.

They’re 25-2 with a state title in their first two years under head coach Jared Beshore.

WRONG: Girard Trojans

This team has been bouncing around .500 for years.

We had them picked to go 5-3 and they blew that out of the water.

Girard finished the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record – their first undefeated season since 1999. The Trojans won a district title and a regional title, finishing the year with a 10-1 overall record.

RIGHT: Aurora Houn’Dawgs

I thought the Aurora Houn’Dawgs would take another step forward – and that’s what they did this season.

We had them at 7-2 in our magazine and they finished 7-2.

After losing their season opener, the Houn’Dawgs ripped off 7 straight wins before falling to Nevada in the regular season finale. After that great regular season, their playoff run didn’t last long because….

WRONG: Seneca Indians

The Seneca Indians beat them in the first round.

Seneca is one of our biggest whiffs of the fall. We had them in our magazine at 2-7. They dunked on us and went 5-4 in their first season under head coach Cody Hilburn. Not only that, but these guys turned it on in the playoffs, going on to win a district title and finish with an 8-5 overall record.

Seneca. Guys. We blew it. Sorry.

RIGHT: Galena Bulldogs

Galena finished 7-1 this year and that’s right where we had them.

They lost their season opener at Commerce, Oklahoma – then went on a 7-game winning streak to end the regular season.

The Bulldogs did fall in the first round of the post-season, but they’re one of the best and most consistent programs in the area, going 41-10 the last five seasons.

WRONG: Parsons Vikings

I knew the Parsons Vikings were going to be better in year two under Jeff Schibi. I just didn’t know they would be that much better.

They were 3-6 last season. We picked them to go 4-4. They ended with a 6-2 record in the regular season.

Parsons went on to win a playoff game and finish 7-3 overall.

RIGHT: Missouri Southern Lions

I know you’re thinking “you’re going to take credit for picking them to go 3-8?”

Short answer: yes

In their first season under head coach Atiba Bradley, the Lions went 3-8 as we predicted.

That is significant, because the last time they won three games was all the way back in 2014 when I couldn’t even rent a car.

Southern is headed in the right direction, they’re fun to watch again and they’re going to continue to get better.

WRONG: McDonald County Mustangs

We had the McDonald County Mustangs in our magazine at 6-3. They went 8-1 in the regular season – their best finish since the 60’s.

This team was fun to watch. Their only loss in the regular season was to Lamar, who would go on to finish as the Missouri Class 2 state runner-up, and they finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak.

The Mustangs ended up playing for a district title and finishing 10-2. We were wrong there.

WRAPPING UP

There are more we got right and wrong. Some by a little, some by a lot. These are just the ones that stood out to me.

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Galena stays unbeaten with road win over McAuley

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JOPLIN, Mo. – (WATCH) The Galena boys top McAuley 63-33 Monday night to get to 5-0 to start the season.

The Bulldogs have the rest of 2021 off, before returning to the floor on January 4th against Baxter Springs.

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Galena rolls by Girard for 2-0 start

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GIRARD, Kan. – (WATCH) #2 Galena tops Girard 56-27 Friday night to get to 2-0 to start the season.

Brett Sarwinski (12 pts), Tyler Little (10 pts) and Kobe McGlothlin (10 pts) were all in double figures for the Bulldogs. Brahm Born scores a game-high 13 points for Girard, including 12 in the first half alone.

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Frontenac shuts down Galena to punch ticket to state quarterfinals

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WATCH: Frontenac tops Galena 31-6 to claim a regional title and move on to the state quarterfinals.

The Raiders will travel to face Rock Creek in the 3A quarterfinals next week.

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Galena advances to regional championship with blowout win over Burlington

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WATCH: Galena tops Burlington 50-6 in the first round of the 3A playoffs Friday night.

Galena advances to face Frontenac for a regional title next week.

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Galena rides 7-game winning streak into playoffs

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GALENA, Kan. – The Galena Bulldogs are on a roll heading into the post-season.

“We feel really good. We talk all season long that we want to be playing our best football this time of the year,” says head coach Beau Sarwinski, “I feel like we’ve made leaps and bounds since week one, and we want to keep doing those things.”

Galena won 7 straight games to finish the regular season – after losing by 26 to Commerce, Oklahoma in their season opener back on September 3rd.

“We just weren’t ready for it, but we’re more prepared now,” says Galena senior Jacob Waggoner.

“They got after us,” Sarwinski says of the Commerce game in week one, “We made a lot of mistakes on offense, defense and coaching-wise. We just had to look ourselves in the mirror and say hey we have to get better. That’s what we did and our kids took that to heart and our coaches did too. We just focused on us.”

The Bulldogs welcome in the Burlington Wildcats Friday night in the first round of the 3A playoffs.

“They’re just a bunch team, all huddled in there,” Waggoner says of Burlington, “We just have to keep our eyes up and make tackles.”

“They run a scheme of kind of a single-wing. It’s kind of similar to what Lamar used to do, some of that single-wing stuff that is very tricky,” Sarwinski adds, “They’re very good at it. We’ve got to be very disciplined and ready to go, and I think our kids will be.”

Galena has already won a district championship this season.

They’re hoping the momentum they’ve built in the last two months can help carry them to a state championship at the end of November.

“It would mean a lot to me, being a senior,” Waggoner says, “Going far and possibly winning the whole thing would mean a lot.”

“Any time you can play football into November, it’s a great thing,” Sarwinski finishes, “We always talk about that with our kids. That’s what we strive for in the summer, is to play when it’s cooler and have a lot of fun and be one of those teams that competes for a state championship. We just have to take it one step at a time, so hopefully we can get after it and play this week and move on. We’re playing against a good team, so we’ll see what happens.”

Galena’s game against Burlington kicks off at 6 PM Friday night at Galena High School.

COPYRIGHT 2021 BY KOAM NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.