Friday’s first-ever varsity football game at Linn had been in the minds and hearts of fans for some time, and as kick-off approached, the State Tech tailgate party winding down, the sky darkened. Soon after, the first stab of lightning appeared, requiring a delay. A torrential downpour ensued, more lightning pierced the gloom, and when it was all said and done, the game scheduled for 7 p.m. began at 8:30.

Coach Steve Samson did not make excuses for the Wildcats’ 39-0 loss to Cuba but acknowledged that experience in such a weather delay and subsequent field conditions likely played a part.

“They had to sit and wait, too, but they’re a little more experienced than we are,” said Samson of the Cuba Wildcats. “They know how to handle that. We don’t. So, was it a factor? Could have been, but we just didn’t play very well either. I mean, we came out and played pretty well on two or three series, and then the wheels fell off. So, I mean, we’ve just got to get better all around. We have to make sure we play through times like that.”

Linn also played without some key people, including Carson Kliethermes and Bobby Winkelman, who were injured.

“That’s no excuse either,” said Samson. “Injuries are going to happen, and the next guy’s going to have stand up and and play. Right now, we’ve got a lot of guys that don’t think they’re going to play, and they might. We’re going to have to really step up and start playing things right. We’re going to have to change the way we practice and prepare. That’s what I told the team today. From the minute we step on that field in practice, we’re preparing for Friday’s game. No more joking around. They like to play little games and stuff like that, thinking that, ‘Oh, Monday’s not a big deal.’ Yeah, it is a big deal. Every time you step on the field, you’ve got to prepare for Friday’s game because games are won or lost Monday through Thursday.”

Linn kicked off to start the game, deferring the coin-toss win to receive in the second half. The Wildcats held on fourth down and took over on downs.

“I thought our defense played really well,” said Samson. “I know the offense didn’t help them out. Our defense was on the field so much because the offense fumbled a couple of times there. We got the ball back. On the first play, we fumble, and they get the ball right back. And, now, you’re putting your defense in a bad spot because they’re on the field a lot, and I know these guys play both ways, but it takes a lot out of you when you’re playing defense the whole time. They were also in a bad spot because it was a short field. I think they just kind of ran out of gas on some of that stuff and gave up a couple of scores they shouldn’t have. The one kid right before the half made a great play. He gets stopped at the two-yard line and pitches it to another kid. He scores and that’s a kid being a football player and thinking he needs to score because time’s gone. He just made a great play, but all in all, I think our defense played really well. Our offense needs to pick it up, help them out a little bit, and keep the defense off the field.

After allowing a touchdown in the first quarter, Linn gave up 20 points in the second to trail 26-0 at the break. Cuba added seven in the third and six in the fourth.

Linn counted 41 total tackles against Cuba, with Joe Brandt’s 11 leading the way, followed by Gus Peters and Trevor Brandt (6 each), Jake Bish, Logan Martin, and Jason Greer (4 apiece), and Tommy Scheulen, Connor Knoll, and Xavier Knoll (2 each). Joe Brandt had a pair of sacks, and Martin added one before he left the game with a sprained ankle. He’s due to return on Friday.

Offensively, the Linn Wildcats did not complete a pass on two attempts and finished with 33 rushing yards. Craig Laughlin carried the load with 43 yards on 13 carries (3.3 average) with a long of 11 yards. Tyler Wagner lost 23 yards on eight carries, while Aaden Nelson picked up 13 on two runs (6.5 average). All told, Linn lost six fumbles on the night between offensive issues or on special teams.

“We had a couple of fumbles, a snap over our heads, and a couple of high snaps, which, you know, even on a high snap, we didn’t fumble the ball, but it throws our timing off,” said Samson. “There’s just little things here and there we need to clean up. Did the weather have a lot to do with it? Yeah. Did being their first game ever have a lot to do with it? Yeah. I think there are a lot of lot of factors there being a first-year varsity program; two years from now, that doesn’t happen. We have to grow from that and learn, and hopefully, Friday night, we put things together against St. James.”

Samson added that the offensive line played well at times. “They all played well at times, and then at times, we had one or two miss a block, and one or two didn’t come off the ball as well as they should have. We’re still standing up a little bit. We’ve just got to be consistent on every play. Our wideouts blocked fairly well at times, and then again, other times, it’s like they took a play off. So the whole offense needs to be more consistent on what we’re doing.”

When Linn forced a punt or took kick-offs after touchdowns, it was difficult to get anything going, with no return yards on the night.

“On special teams, we had something going on punt where Tyler goes in motion, and if they don’t cover him, Craig’s going to throw him the ball,” said Samson. “Well, we didn’t let the motion clear wide enough. So, when we did throw him the ball, there wasn’t enough space there where he could actually use his speed to get out and maybe go for a first down. So that hampered us a couple of times.”

Through it all, the fans in red and white remained positive, cheering on the Wildcats. “I thought the crowd was great, considering the rain and lightning, and there was an hour and a half. One of these days, we’re going to have a game out here where it’s not raining. The crowd was loud; I heard them. The kids heard them and really enjoyed it. Hopefully, we can come through and pull out a win for them. We all appreciate the support from students and the community.”

Despite the first-game loss, Samson is confident the team has plenty of potential to compete. “We play St. James on Friday there, and they’re a Class 3 team too,” he said. “We’ll be ready to go out and fight for a win. After that, we play Windsor, which has a really good football program. They’re Class 1, so it will be a little more our size and speed.”

Friday’s game at St. James kicks off at 7 p.m., and the JV team plays at St. James next Monday, beginning at 6 p.m.