Farmington Trying to Prove 2011 Was No Fluke

Given the way the last few seasons have gone Farmington football may not know what to expect in 2012. Last year they had 11 wins and a deep run into the playoffs. The year before, 3 wins. Whether the Cardinals win a State Championship or don’t win a game at all, the community will support them no matter what. That was evident Monday night.

It was a simple team scrimmage in the middle of summer practice.  Yet the stands at Farmington were nearly packed.

“This just being a scrimmage makes me happy that the whole town has our back,” said senior defensive tackle Brennan Warren.  “It’s not just the team playing, it’s the town coming to support us. That gives us strength, builds us up, makes us a better team.”

Last year it certainly did. Farmington made it to the State Semifinals. In previous years, not so much. The last three before didn’t live up to expectations.

“Our kids expect to be contending for conference championships and get the chance to get in the playoffs and do some damage. And that’s our expectation every year,” said head coach Mike Adams.

Other teams across the state could see Farmington’s 11wins last year as a lucky break or a fluke. But this program refuses to let that happen.

“Prove to the rest of the state by winning games,” said senior left tackle Zach Nickell.  “We’re not going to be beat down like we have in years previous. We’re going to win as much as we did last year.”

The big concern is all the seniors Farmington lost last year, nine of them on defense alone. And it’s not like they can magically snap their fingers and give their kids experience.

“There really is no coaching that,” said coach Adams. “You just got to get those guys out there and expose them to an atmosphere like this and then get them in there those first three games when it doesn’t really count and get them ready to go.”

The best way to duplicate last season’s success will be to stick to what they learned in 2011.

“This last year we came in and we were a family in the locker room,” said Warren. “That was a big part of our game, being a family. I think this year we’re coming in and we’ve bonded a lot to try to be a closer team.  So I think we can come out and play like we did last year.”