Havre’s football team provided a first-round playoff statement victory this past Friday night, (42-19) over East Helena. New Media Broadcasters caught up with Ponies head coach Jake Eldridge and he gave the listeners a pulse of how the team is doing after making their presence known in the last home game of the season.
“I think they understand where we’re at right now,” Eldridge said. “It’s a one game season. You’ve got to earn every (win) that you get here.”
“I think it was pretty easy for them to reset and refocus, just like it was after our last game in the regular season (against Fergus) to get ready for the playoff game we had,” Eldridge continued.
“It’s been a good week so far,” Eldridge said. “Obviously, the weather has decided to show up and this is playoff weather, so we’re loving it, despite how cold it can be.”
The shift and focus turns to Frenchtown. The Broncs come in with a (9-0) record, dominating the majority of the Western ‘A’ with only two games even being within a touchdown margin. Eldridge said what the mindset of his team is heading a long distance and taking on an undefeated team at their place.
“That experience definitely helps,” Eldridge said. “But we also understand (that) it’s a whole new season and a whole new team.”
“Records don’t matter. Seeding doesn’t matter,” Eldridge continued. “They play the games for a reason.”
“We’re excited. The kids are really excited to get an opportunity to go out and play a very competitive game,” Eldridge said. “If we just focus on us, I think everything will be okay.”
Havre (7-3) will face the undefeated Broncs in Frenchtown on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is at 1pm and a feed will be provided on KOJM-610AM, 98.3FM, and HiLineToday.com.
