Staker wants Coe to relax, have fun

Relax, play loose, have fun.

Oh, and win. That's the big one.

“This is a new season,” Coe football coach Steve Staker said. “Let's have some fun out there. I know the coaches are pushing you hard, and they're concerned, too. But let's enjoy this game for what it is, and let's have some fun. Get back on track.”

No one saw these Kohawks getting off track quite like this, as they're 0-2 going into their Iowa Conference opener Saturday  afternoon against Simpson (0-2) at Clark Field. This was a team ranked in the top 15 nationally preseason, one that had a lot of players returning from an NCAA Division III playoff squad.

A first-week loss to Hardin-Simmons wasn't completely unexpected, considering the quality of the opponent and a 14-hour bus trip to Abilene, Texas. But losing in overtime last week to Olivet Nazarene was shocking.

Olivet ended an 18-game losing streak, winning on a 92-yard interception return. Coe, which had 434 yards of offense and 28 first downs, had stopped Olivet on the first possession of OT and needed only a field goal to win.

“Just little mistakes here and there,” Coe quarterback Brad Boyle said. “We've got the talent and everything. We've just got to put it together.”

Boyle is a two-time IIAC MVP and will own virtually every Coe passing record by season's end, yet has thrown no touchdowns and has been picked off seven times. Keep in mind, he set a D-III record for passes without an interception two years ago as a sophomore.

His “slump” is beyond head scratching.

“Tipped balls always seemed to hit the ground before. Now they're not,” Boyle said. “I've been forcing it a little more, pressing a little more. But this week, I feel a lot more comfortable with everything.”

Relax, play loose, have fun ...

“We've had a good week of practice,” Staker said. “We've gotten after each other pretty good.”