Hampshire plays Winnebago tough in 10-0 loss

Hampshire football coach Dan Cavanaugh walked off the field Friday night disappointed but proud the way his team played in its 10-0 loss to Winnebago at Hampshire.

"The defense played their hearts out," Cavanaugh said. "And most of the guys that play on defense also play on offense."

The Hampshire defense was on the field for most of the game. The Indians (2-0) came out with a plan to establish the run early and scored on their first possession with a 33-yard touchdown run by Seth Gustafson. The Indians' ground game gained 223 yards on 46 carries, with the majority of the load carried by Gustafson, who ran for 168 yards.

The Whip-Purs' offense struggled and couldn't capitalize on an Indians fumble in the third quarter that was recovered by defensive lineman Ryan DeChant at the 50-yard line. Hampshire quarterback Joe Peralta couldn't seem to get in-sync with his wide receivers, completing only 2 of 9 passes.

"Winnebago played a role," Cavanaugh said. "They controlled the line of scrimmage. They put nine in the box and dared us to throw."

A big moment in the game came when Winnebago was on a long drive and had 1st-and-10 at the Whip-Purs' 14-yard line. Cavanaugh called a timeout to get his tired defense a rest, and Hampshire continued its bend but don't break attitude, giving up only a field goal to keep the game within reach at 10-0.

"The whole unit played well," said Cavanaugh. "Cooper Smith, Ron Laramie and the two safeties were all over the place."

In the fourth quarter, the Hampshire (0-2) offense continued to sputter, and the defense did what it could to try and create some offense but was unsuccessful.

A lot will be taken from this week and will be used going forward, according to Cavanaugh.

"We were a lot better this week than we were last week," said Cavanaugh. "We were more physical and we made fewer mistakes. We're starting to find out where guys should play."