2018 Southland Football Media Day Coach & Player Quotes
Southland Conference
2018 Southland Conference Football Media Day
Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria, Houston, Texas
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Archived Press Conference Video
HOUSTON – Head coach and player representatives from all 11 Southland Conference football teams previewed the upcoming season the Hilton Houston Post Oak Hotel on Thursday. Archived video of each team’s press conference is available for download
here.
ABILENE CHRISTIAN
Head Coach Adam Dorrel:
“The most exciting thing for me about our program right now is our culture; I believe we’ve turned the corner there. We haven’t had any issues on our team since January and that’s a testament to the leadership we have and the work they’re putting in on the field, in the classroom and in the locker room.”
“If we want to do the things we want to do in 2018, our play on the offensive and defensive lines and the consistency and production in those two areas has to be better. We’ve got to be able to run the ball better in every area, and our run defense has to improve dramatically.”
DT Dante Hibbert:
“Being part of the ‘212 Defense’ is special. Coach Jackson (defensive coordinator Tremaine Jackson) is phenomenal and he began instilling ins us from the first day he got here the mindset we have to have to play for the 212. But you have to want to play hard and you have to want to go out every day and be part of it. It’s not something that’s given to you; you have to earn your spot in the 212.”
QB Luke Anthony:
“Our community has become much more supportive of our program over the last year. I believe they see what we’re doing on and off the field and they respect what we’re doing. Ultimately I think it’ll continue to get better in terms of student and community support.”
CENTRAL ARKANSAS
RB Carlos Blackman on offensive backfield depth:
“(Our depth) is basically a secret weapon but not really a secret. Because we have so many options and people are always fresh and ready to go because there are so many of us. Everybody can do what they need to do to make us successful.”
DE Chris Terrell on UCA's penchant for stopping the run:
“The key is just putting in the work and having pride in stopping the run. We just push each other, and try to push everyone around us, to get better every day. That’s our job, that’s our role on this team.”
HOUSTON BAPTIST
Head Coach Vic Shealy:
“As a coach, I am humbled by how hard our staff and how hard our players work, particularly in those days when no one else sees them. Most people don’t understand the time that wives give to their husbands being away recruiting, the early mornings that we meet or staying late to get work done. Most people don’t see the suffering and the loss of a typical college student life and they do it, because they love their teammates, they love the game and that fuels their acceptance of living a different life. As a head coach, it’s really humbling to see a game that I love, and a program I love and a school that I love, to see people being willing to give of themselves. Every player comes in with a certain idea of what he wants to take away from that effort, some are going to come in with certain goals of being all-conference and All-American, and certainly we’ve had those in our program, for some it’s to be a record holder or a starter, but for others, they’ll never reach that level, but they’ll become great teammates and be part of a legacy that one people will look back on this program when it was first founded and look at what became expected of how a player walks around campus, how he respectfully walks in that classroom and wants to learn. My hope is that we get to a point on game days that we get to a point where more people will come support us. This time of year, you do look back with a measure of appreciation for all that goes into it.”
“This is the most excited I have been, far and away, of my time at HBU. I believe in this football team, the leadership of this football team and I believe in our staff. We’ll have adversity, but we’re not far away from something really special happening. If we do a good job as coaches and our kids get confidence early, we could be a really dangerous team in this league this year.”
“I expect us to have a really explosive offense — I expect us to fill up a lot of highlight reels. I think we will be fun to watch. When a lot of folks watch on TV, stream on the internet or watch us live in the stands, I think will people will come and cheer, because they care about HBU, but I think they’re going to come and say ‘Now, that was fun’ when watching us play offensively. A lot of that emotion has arrived, defensively, in our program. I’m very much of the belief that the direction we’re heading offensively is really going to make a difference and people are going to feel it early on.”
DE Andre Walker & CB Raphael Lewis
On playing for a new defensive coordinator in a new system:
“We’re moving to a 3-4 system which will put our defensive ends in a tight formation closer to the nose guard and the biggest change is being more aggressive at the point of attack.” – Andre Walker
“We’re excited Coach (Jeff) Mills is on board. He has worked with the best and he can teach us something new. We get to pick his brain and we appreciate having him to learn from.” – Raphael Lewis
On what’s left to do before camp starts:
“We have to make sure everyone knows the new playbook and is ready to go. We can’t have slip-ups. We have to have the mindset that we won’t let anyone score.” – Raphael Lewis
“My goal is to continue to influence the freshmen and the newcomers to the program. If everyone buys in, it elevates the team as a whole.” – Andre Walker
CB Raphael Lewis on the journey from Elk Grove, Calif. to HBU
“Coming out of high school, I wasn’t offered any scholarship. I went to a junior college where they really helped define my skills. Coach helped my brother get to an NAIA school in Nebraska, but I was determined to go to a Division I. I got a couple of scholarship offers but HBU really showed me a lot of loyalty and I really respected that.”
UIW
Head Coach Eric Morris on his staff:
“In my early adult life, you know I’m not a baseball guy, but I’ve hit three home runs: My first home run was marrying my wife, Maggie; she’s way out of my league. My second home run was having my child, Jack, who is two and a half years old. And my third home run would be hiring the staff that I hired at UIW this year. I couldn’t be more blessed than to be around a great group of guys.”
“All of you coaches know it takes an army; it takes a great group of guys to set a culture in. To be able to put your thumb print on these student-athletes each and every day. And so, it takes a village. I was lucky enough to put together a group of 15 guys that are helping us each day to build a culture—and that’s not easy.”
Head Coach Eric Morris on changing the culture:
“Coaches talk all the time about changing the culture; people have a ton of ideas on how to get there. First and foremost, you’ve got to create relationships with these players. We had the challenge of coming in to about 70 student-athletes; we didn’t recruit these guys. Didn’t know them from Adam, but we did a good job of establishing relationships. That allowed us to trust them and them to trust us. That’s one thing our coaches have done fantastic job of so far.”
Head Coach Eric Morris on Unity:
“So, I’ve always believed that football is the greatest team sport in America, and it’s an interesting dynamic for us as coaches to bring 105 players together. They’re all different, from different economic backgrounds … different races, and you put them all in a locker room together and we have to find a way to get these kids to love each other … and to understand what their purpose is in life and on this team. If we can get them all moving in the same direction and fighting – that’s been a [dynamic] in some of the greatest teams I’ve ever been a part of. Some of the greatest teams I’ve ever been a part of weren’t always the most talented. The goal now is to build that chemistry in the locker room and have these guys focus on the little things each and every day. And when you get doing all of these well, that’s when you develop into a great team.”
Head Coach on Early Assessments of the Team:
“I think our mental toughness has increased dramatically since the day we set foot on campus. I don’t think some kids knew how much they could push their limits on the field. Our strength coach (Bret Huth) has done a phenomenal job of taking them to their breaking point.”
OL Terence Hickman II on the strength and conditioning for the air raid offense:
“Especially as an offensive lineman, you want to gain every advantage you can, so we are going fast and moving fast, which makes the defense get tired quicker. They aren’t substituting and that’s an offensive lineman’s dream. That’s the time to bury them, when they are tired.”
OL Terence Hickman II on coach Bret Huth:
“Since the coaching change, we’ve spent the most time with coach Huth out of any of the coaches. He’s been getting us right for conditioning and strength. We have a saying: ‘Body By Huth,’ because he’s getting us right every day we see him. It’s always a different task we have to accomplish that day, and it’s getting us better.”
OL Terence Hickman II on promoting UIW:
“Come out to some of the games, because I feel like we are going to surprise some of the people this year. We are going to make a lot of noise. We have a fast-paced offense and a lock-up, clamp-up defense. That’s all I can say. Just sit back and watch.”
OL Terence Hickman II on the progress of UIW he’s seen:
“Before high school when I was getting recruited… I live in San Antonio and I had never heard of (UIW), to be honest with you, other than the academics of course. As I started getting closer to high school, I heard of UIW as a DI program on the rise, and I wanted to be part of it. With coach Morris coming in, we can really make that full circle and become a top-tier DI program.”
DB Jamarkese Williams on being in one-on-one situations:
“When you are playing corner, the biggest thing you can have is confidence. It’s not size or speed, the best thing you can have is confidence. Going out there and being on that island… I really love it and I embrace it, so I’m always looking forward to it.”
DB Jamarkese Williams on head coach Eric Morris:
“He’s a great man. I love how he came in with an aggressiveness. He’s always talking about building us up as men. He’s always preaching about God. That’s a big deal to have in your life.”
DB Jamarkese Williams on DC Justin Deason’s first message:
“When he first got here, the first thing he was talking about was the Lord. Keeping God as part of your life and loving each other, trusting each other. Basically, having a brotherhood with each other. He’s always challenging us about loving and trusting each other, and that’s something we’ve been building on the defensive side.”
LAMAR
OL Garrett Bowery on the 2018 Southland Preseason Poll:
“There is no doubt it’s motivation. It will push us in the right direction. Like every other team in the league, we just want a championship and to be respected. The only way to earn respect is by winning a conference title and getting to the playoffs. If we get overlooked that’s fine because we know he have a lot of work to do.”
OL Garrett Bowery on the Cardinals’ offensive line:
“We had a lot of young guys last season. We have all worked hard on the offense season and hit the weight room. The hard work that these guys have put in can’t be stressed enough. In addition to the young talent that was here last year, we added a lot of new players during signing period. I’m convinced we are heading in the right direction. Last year we averaged 287 pounds on the offensive line, and this year we average 304 pounds. We are bigger, stronger and we’ve quite a bit of depth. In addition to the added size, I think we are mentally tougher this year. We’re ready for the season to kick off.”
LB Chaston Brooks on the SLC preseason poll:
“We’re going to use that as motivation for the upcoming season. Regardless of how the poll turned out, it wouldn’t have changed how we prepare for the season, or how we prepare for each individual week. As an athlete, it bothers you to not receive the respect on the field, but we know that respect is something we have to earn on the field and we didn’t do that last year. We will continue to go about our work outs in preparation for the season, but we will use that as motivation.”
LB Chaston Brooks on the preparing for his senior year:
“Going into our senior year our main goal is to win conference and make the playoffs. Every week we go in looking at just the upcoming opponent and no further. You can’t get caught looking beyond your next opponent. Our senior class wants to be known for turning this program around.”
LB Chaston Brooks on the nay-sayers:
“The best part about the start of a new season is everyone is starting off 0-0. We all have the same goals and that is to win the Southland Conference. We won’t spend any time worrying about the opinions of others. We can only control what we do on the field, so we have to make sure we get better every day. What the voters in preseason polls do will not change how we go about doing our job.”
MCNEESE
Head Coach Lance Guidry
“Good afternoon. Good to be back. We had a good year last year but it wasn’t quite good enough. Anytime you can win nine games is really impressive. Our goals are pretty high at McNeese. We have a great tradition and a great history. Our goal is always to get back to the national championship and win the conference championship. The only way to guarantee to go to the playoffs is to either win the conference or come out second.
“This year is a different football team. Each year it is. Last year was a 9-win team and this year is brand new.
“I’m excited and hopefully we’ll have a good season.”
TE Lawayne Ross on transitioning from RB to TE
“At first it was hard. I had been playing running back all my life. I didn’t really want to do it at first. But going through 7-on-7 and transitioning into spring ball, it was really more natural to me. After a while it got pretty easy for me.”
Ross on playing with his brother Ryan Ross
“It’s been a blessing. A lot of people can’t experience that. That first year he showed me the ropes and made things easier for me.”
LB BJ Blunt on returning to McNeese after JUCO
“Coming out of JUCO I was an All-American and had a lot of offers. I initially committed to Memphis then decommitted. Then committed to Texas Tech. But Coach Guidry came after me. I thought I was through and was going to try to go play pro but Coach Guidry came through for me and it’s been great.”
Blunt on the DWA (Defense With Attitude)
“I consider myself a very physical player. Coming to the team there were a lot of finesse guys like Dominique Hill who was just acclimated to the program. He could play with natural instincts. I love it.”
NICHOLLS
Head Coach Tim Rebowe on receiving No. 2 SLC preseason ranking and higher expectations for the program:
“It’s quite an honor. It says a lot about our players and how hard they’ve worked and that your peers and the people you play against respect you. But at the end of the day you still have to play those games, and you have to be able to play them one game at a time. The message needs to be the same to our guys, and I think they understand that. We need to remember what got us here, and that was hard work, staying positive, strapping it up every day and doing all the simple, little things right that got us to this point.”
Head Coach Tim Rebowe on the new redshirt rule:
“I think it’s going to help. It’s going to be interesting how different coaches and programs are going to approach it. Are you going to play guys early, save some for the middle or wait til the end of the year to play them all four games? Obviously, it’s going to help if you have a guy who’s doing some good things on a scout team, getting better week in and week out and all of a sudden you have an injury at that position. That guy can step up and play for you. Coaches are going to use it, but I think it will be good for the student-athlete.”
OL Ryan Hanley on the Colonel running backs:
“Our running backs are very close with the offensive line. That’s what I like. They come to all of our meetings. They’re trying to learn what we’re doing so they know what holes to hit. They take pride in knowing what we’re doing. Our running backs are a great group of people. I couldn’t’ ask for a better group.”
OL Ryan Hanley on the offense improving from last year:
“This whole offseason we’ve been working hard. We’ve been doing more than what we did last year because we know where we were last year. We’re looking forward to this season and will see what happens.”
LB Hezekiah White on experiencing the turnaround under Tim Rebowe:
“It’s been wonderful. You have to give a lot of credit to Coach Rebowe. He came in and he wanted to change the culture around in Thibodaux. I think he’s done that. He and his coaching staff have done a wonderful job. They always preach winning. You talk about us losing every game our freshman year and last season we’re in the playoffs. It started out a little rough, but thanks to Coach Rebowe and staff, we’ve changed the culture around here. I love Thibodaux. The whole community has come out and supported us, and I appreciate them.”
LB Hezekiah White on playing SEC teams close in each of the past two seasons:
“I think it’s been great for us and our program. It’s putting Nicholls on the map. You go down to the wire with two elite SEC teams. It was great for us, but you have to give a lot of credit to our guys. They always came in ready to win. You also have to give credit to the coaching staff. They always came in with a great game plan to put us in a position to win. We just couldn’t pull them out, but it was a great opportunity for us.”
NORTHWESTERN STATE
Head Coach Brad Laird:
“With me being a first-year head coach, the first thing I wanted to do was hire a diverse staff with experience and youth. Both of my coordinators have head coaching experience in Brad Smiley and Mike Lucas. They’ve both sat in the same seat I’m in, and I can lean on those guys.”
“You want to surround yourself with good people, and I was able to do that. They bring so much to the table day in and day out. We bounce ideas off each other all the time. There might be only person in the head coaching seat, but it’s going to take everybody to get us to where we want to go.”
“The opportunity to come back to Northwestern State was tremendous after being there at different times throughout my career. But it really started when I was eight, nine and 10 years old when my dad (Billy Laird) was the offensive coordinator (at NSU). You reflect on guys that were around the program like (quarterback) Bobby Hebert, (running back) Joe Delaney and (receiver) Mark Duper – all had great NFL careers. You don’t realize it at the time, but you’re surrounded by guys like that. Being there as a player, a defensive coordinator and now a head coach, it’s important who is around you.
“Timing is everything, and the coaching profession takes you down a winding road, but it always takes us to the right spot, and this was the right spot at the right time for me.”
DE Zak Krolczyk KROLCZYK:
“No (Brad Laird) hasn’t changed much (since becoming the head coach). But he has all the power now. He’s the same dude that does everything he can for his players. He wants to win, and that’s what we’ll do.”
“I started out at Blinn Junior College, and (former offensive coordinator Ben Norton) was actually recruiting me. We started talking about hunting, and he offered me. It turned out pretty good.”
TE Kalen Meggs:
“E.A.T. – effort, attitude and tempo. You might not get the ball every play. But if a play is going to the left and you’re on the right side, you try to get to that left side to make a block to spring him. You have to have the same attitude off the field as you do on the field. Cheer on your teammates or cheer on the defense to get a stop.”
“When (Laird) first got hired, it was kind of shocking because I didn’t know he was up for the job. Laird and I joke a lot – he thinks he’s funny. But I was extremely excited. I know him well.”
SAM HOUSTON STATE
Head Coach K.C. Keeler:
“We’ve been the No. 3 team in the country the last four years in row. We’re trying to find a way to get over that hump. One of the ways to achieve that goal is to be more physical. The great thing about being here in the great state of Texas is that we’re going to get some great athletes. Along with that, we need to find a way to incorporate a more physical brand of football. That’s what our focus is and it's what these new coaches are bringing to the table.”
“I think we’ve made some changes in a positive way. It will be a little different, but I think you’ll notice that we will be more physical on both sides of the ball.”
“I think our kids understand that when you’re in our culture, it’s about certain expectations. There’s accountability and when things aren’t going our way we believe that we can turn the ship around. I think going deep in the playoffs the last four years, the team is hungry for the opportunity to win a national championship.”
OL Mitchell Wantanabe:
“The only thing missing on the legacy I want to leave is a national championship. That’s my goal and the team’s goal and that’s what we want to leave for future Bearkats.”
DB Adrian Contreras:
“We never want to be dependent on our offense. As a defense, we want to play and be successful on our one-third of the game. If the offense if having trouble on a drive, our defense should be able to go out onto the field and make a stand.”
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
Head Coach Frank Scelfo:
“The mission of Southeastern Athletics is to have our student-athletes excel in competition, in the classroom and in the community and we’ve spent this first six months working toward those goals. We want to have all of our players to graduate and walk across that stage at commencement with a championship ring on their fingers. We want support from our community, so it’s important for our program in turn to support our community. We’re proud of our recently announced partnership with Child Advocacy Services CASA and we look forward to having the Lions be a huge part of the community in Hammond, America.”
“We’ve spent every day since I started evaluating our student-athletes in every facet. We’re excited about what we have in place. We have a lot of talent, but maybe not as much in-game experience as some of the other teams in our league. Our guys want to win. We’ve been impressed with how they come to work every day and have embraced our culture – how we practice and what our expectations are.”
OL Alfred Beverly:
“We’re ready for the 2018 season, but there’s not one game we’re looking forward more than any other. We have to stay together and take it one week at a time.”
DB Dejion Lynch:
“We were excited when it was announced that Coach Scelfo was our new coach. He is proven to be a great leader and we’re looking forward to playing for him.”
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Head Coach Jeff Byrd:
"We're ready to get started. We have had a great summer going through our process those guys have been doing an outstanding job about doing their jobs and being accountable for themselves and their teammates. We have a great thing going here - the camaraderie with the players and coaches last night is a great deal and we appreciate you guys being here to ask us questions about our programs."
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on what SFA returns:
"You should talk about our returning starters - 11 on offense and as a coach as I turn those pages in our media guide I see guys that have played significant time. We lost one of our leaders last year in Trey Ramos in the first game and losing starters wound up happening at a lot of positions on our football team. When you look at the depth and the guys who have played meaningful time, that’s what excites me. Anytime you have competition - my job is to make you uncomfortable. The only way you’re going to improve is to be uncomfortable. That competition between positions is going to allow us to be competitive."
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on bringing in transfers:
"We needed to fill in guys to help us with the leadership roles."
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on the number of big games SFA plays:
"You’ve got the Battle of the Piney Woods, then you have Chief Caddo at the end and then - by the way -McNeese, UCA and so many others on your radar, too. Because of that - the strength of our league - every game becomes your biggest game. The atmosphere at NRG Stadium is an incredible sight to see. A lot of times when you go into those larger stadiums, you don’t feel it. When you’re in NRG, you feel it and there’s excitement in the air and it has a bowl game feel to it."
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on overcoming adversity/handling coaching change:
"To be a family, you’ve got to stick together. Everybody has pulled together during this situation and that has allowed us to be closer. It’s the player’s team - they’re the ones who lead us in the direction we want to go. I’m just the one holding the steering wheel and asking them where they want to go."
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on the recruiting class:
"We have had them around for some of the summer and I feel like we did a good job recruiting out of east Texas. When you take 10 high school freshmen - and coaches will tell you we’re better off if we redshirt those guys - we’re real excited about the class and we talked about the transfers and you’re looking for a way to build your roster so you don’t ride the ups and downs. There were times last year where we had six true freshmen on the field. We hope to let those guys grow up, fill some of those gaps and really take that next step."
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on Ryan Woods and Foster Sawyer:
"Ryan’s the guy who helps carry us and push us together. It’s because of his leadership and his other qualities that hold us together. On the offensive end, that's what you see Foster doing, too. That’s what you build family around and that’s what I hope these two young men can be for our football program."
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on going back to Nacogdoches after media day:
"Most of the guys back home are probably watching this thing to see what we’re talking about but they’re also focused on doing things right. We just talked about that earlier, what a blessing it is to have guys associated with your program that go where they’re supposed to go and do what they’re supposed to do. I’m very, very proud of these two young men on stage next to me and what their leadership does to bring our team together."
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on DB Alize Ward:
“He’s a guy who can do anything. He has an opportunity to maybe be our best running back and you gotta say, “No, Alize, not today.” because he asked me about that. He plays safety for us, runs things in the back end, returns kicks, blocks punts, throw me a pass and the sad thing about it is he’d probably be pretty good at every one of them. He beings some leadership to us and he’s got some game-changing ability and we’re going to use his skills in some different places to give us a chance.”
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on the season opener at Mississippi State:
"Being a Mississippi guy, I’m excited about going to the state. We’ll have to listen to a lot of loud cowbells and they’re just telling us that this is the best team Mississippi State has ever had. I’ve had the opportunity to go there and coach a few times and we’ll see how the kids stand up in that atmosphere. We’re gonna go play. What we’re talking about is fighting through adversity and holding together. That’s a great test for us and I’m ready to hear those cowbells ring and see what the Lumberjacks can do."
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on the strength of the league:
"You see great athletes on both sides of the ball. Coaches talk about the differences between this league and other FCS leagues - specifically for me coming from the OVC - and it’s the offensive and defensive lines. Skill guys are everywhere, but you start talking about the technique, the fundamentals and the physicality and we’re talking about every school that has those things. To sit here and say you’re in a league that put three teams in the playoffs - should have been four - so when you put those things together to have the schedule and the conference that there’s a chance for four playoff teams. You can be the fifth-place team in this conference, have a really good team and not be good enough. That’s what we talk about every day - what are you doing today to give us an opportunity to win a championship?"
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on the perks of FCS football:
"One of the best things about FCS football is that you get the opportunity to prepare every day to win a national championship. No disrespect to any other program at any other level, but there are some just because of their location that just really don’t get a chance to win a national championship. If you’re the best on the field each day, you’re going to have the opportunity to win a championship. That’s the best thing there is and that’s what I love this level of college football."
Head Coach Jeff Byrd on support from the community of Nacogdoches:
“It’s great to see all that purple and Purple Haze hanging over the wall. It’s our job to make sure we put a better product on the field because they do a great job to support us. That’s evident by our attendance numbers - we lead the league in attendance. That’s what we talk about to the guys - they deserve it, but they have to do it to deserve it. All the time, what are you going to bring? How are you going to shape what we’re doing now?
QB Foster Sawyer on QB competition:
“Us quarterbacks, we all know that the best man will be on the field and that we all have a role. It’s a healthy competition and the more that we make it about our team and not each other the more successful we will be."
QB Foster Sawyer on learning from assistant coach Jeremy Moses:
"He always talks to us about how much time it really takes to accomplish your goals and the work that goes into it. He's excited for camp this year just like the rest of us."
QB Foster Sawyer on what kind of weapons SFA has on offense:
"There are a lot of guys. Obviously Tamrick Pace is a big part of our offense, but you look at our running backs, other receivers and everyone else and it's just a great group that wants to prove themselves and help our team win. This conference is very tough, but for us it’s just thinking about one team - SFA- and thinking about what we can control."
LB Ryan Woods on being a preseason All-Southland pick after being a walk-on:
"I started this journey as a walk on, so it’s a honor that coaches around the league see me as such. To get on the field & impress the coaches outside of SFA, that was a great honor and I appreciate that. That mentality as a walk on hasn’t changed. I have to be leader and being a vocal leader is big for me. I’m truly excited."
LB Ryan Woods on Biggest area of improvement in the offseason:
"Conditioning and working on the little things. Getting in the film room and getting in better shape. I want to be one of the guys who doesn’t get tired. Sometimes I find myself false stepping and not doing things that can get me to the ball faster so I wanted to correct that as well."
LB Ryan Woods on the number of close games lost last season:
"Those losses stung really bad but every day we’re working hard to take steps to reach goals that we have set. We know we can play with anyone, but now we have to give more so we can walk away with wins."