Moral victories are not easy ones. We take them, learn from them and move on.
Quickly learning the recent history of Newton and Norwalk on the football field since arriving here two months ago, the Cardinals had nothing to hang their heads about on Friday night. It stings. Losing a game you’ve controlled much of the time is not easy to swallow.
We can point to one play here on offense, or one play there on defense. On that night — a very difficult night to play or even watch high school football because of the heat and humidity — the Cardinals established they were not going to be pushed around.
Yes, Newton gave up 19 unanswered points and lost in overtime. On the other hand, the Cardinals scored 13 points on Norwalk plus held the Warriors to less than 200 yards rushing for the game.
The Cardinals were making plays right to the end. They did not give up on themselves.
Lessons learned. Move on.
Newton has its 2013 home opener this Friday. It’s the 100th meeting of Newton and Knoxville, based on information supplied to me by longtime NHS football statistician and assistant coach Tom Weeks. The series began in 1913. Weeks said the Newton-Knoxville game was the first football game played in the new H.A. Lynn Stadium in 1942.
Knoxville is coming off a 21-13 loss to Prairie City-Monroe.
Also on Friday night, Colfax-Mingo plays at home against Southeast Warren, Lynnville-Sully hosts Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, PCM hosts Pella Christian, and Collins-Maxwell/Baxter is at Roland-Story.
ON SATURDAY, five of the six area high schools send their cross country teams to the annual Central College Dutch Invitational in Pella. Newton, PCM, Lynnville-Sully, CMB and Pella Christian will have boys and girls running on the Central College cross country course.