Apaches Still Motivated By Playoff Loss

It’s been close to nine months since Arcadia’s season ended with a disappointing 35-37 loss to Norwalk in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs.

And even after all that time the loss still stings Apaches senior defensive back Taylor Lagace. When reminded of the upset loss after practice last week the Lagace’s demeanor immediately shifted from pleasant to sour.

“Very disappointing. I think we should have had that one, definitely,” said Lagace, who was injured during the game and had to watch the rest of the loss from the sidelines. “I couldn’t sleep that night.”

Aside from sleepless nights, however, the loss had one benefit for the Apaches as they approached the 2011 season. It provided plenty of motivation to carry them through offseason workouts and conditioning drills as Lagace and fellow senior Myles Carr look to win Arcadia’s first ever football title in their final year with the program.

“A lot of motivation, a lot of motivation,” Lagace said.

Lagace isn’t the only Apache to struggle with the aftermath of last season’s playoff exit. 

“It still bothers me a lot,” said Carr, who returns at quarterback after a season in which he threw for 26 touchdowns to only four interceptions. “It seems like we were doing pretty good on offense, I guess we just couldn’t stop that double wing that they had.”

And much like Lagace, Carr attacked his offseason work with the goal of making sure the 2011 season ends with the Apaches claiming a divisional title.

“That’s exactly how I view it,” Carr said. “It’s either CIF championship or nothing. I’m not settling for semifinals, I’m not settling for first round I want this championship. This is a prototypical championship team.”

Three questions for Arcadia running back Sheldon McKinley.

McKinley rushed for 709 yards and six touchdowns on 123 carries last year as a sophomore for the Apaches. 

Patch: How do you like Arcadia’s new up-tempo offense?

Sheldon McKinley: I like it. It helps us to get more energy more endurance for when we’re playing in the game. We get faster to the ball more time to make plays; more touchdowns as a result.

P: What have you been working on this offseason?

McKinley: I’ve been working on my endurance. In that fourth quarter I’ve got to be able to be at the top of my game. Be able to push just as hard in the fourth as I was in the first.

P: What’s your goal for the season?

McKinley: We want to win that championship. … We have fundamental players who we can depend on to work.