After watching part of the Division 4 state title game Friday night, I am convinced that Edwardsburg could have defeated Lansing Sexton to win the championship.

That means the Eddies were oh so close two weeks ago against Grand Rapids South Christian, which edged Sexton 28-27 for the title.

I know close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, but the truth is the truth.

Had Edwardsburg been able to beat the Sailors in the semifinals, I believe they would have beaten Lansing Sexton at Ford Field.

And I can guarantee you that the final score would not have been 28-27.

There is a saying in sports that you need to lose a championship before you can win one.

That might serve as a slogan for the Eddies next season.

Edwardsburg was a young and inexperienced football team that went through a rash of injuries early in the season.

But each and every week the Eddies got healthier and learned more and more about what kind of football team it could be.

By the later stages of the season, the Edwardsburg coaches and players were thinking championship instead of just posting a good record and getting into the playoffs.

After winning the Wolverine Conference West Division title the second straight season, Edwardsburg turned its attention to the playoffs.

To be quite honest, the Eddies were a major disappointment the last three seasons in the playoffs as they were ousted in the first round each of those years.

But this team was different. Led by a very talented junior quarterback and a group of outstanding running backs, Edwardsburg was confident is could score on any opponent and it did just that.

Getting past Paw Paw in the opening round was huge.

After all, the Eddies had just slipped past the Redskins 62-57 in the regular season.

When Edwardsburg defeated Vicksburg for the Division 4 District title and Eaton Rapids for the regional championship, the Eddies knew there time was now.

Unfortunately, I believe inexperience kept Edwardsburg from beating Grand Rapids South Christian in the semifinals.

It took nearly the entire first half for Edwardsburg to realize that it was as good as the Sailors.

Over the final 24 minutes in Jackson, the Eddies were actually better than the eventual state champions.

With all that history behind us, it is now time to look into the future and see if Edwardsburg can capture the magic once again in 2015.

There are no certainties in athletics, especially at the high school level.

Team chemistry, health and luck are as important as talent.

That is one of the toughest jobs a coach faces in refocusing a team for another championship run.

Edwardsburg has many of the key components returning next season. Now can the Eddies stay healthy, work together as a cohesive unit and have the same drive to win as it did this year?

Of course, only time will tell.

 

Scott Novak is sports editor for Leader Publications. He can be reached at scott.novak@leaderpub.com.