MIA Humbled by Strong SFCA Squad

When Marco Island Academy head coach Lew Montgomery looked across the field Thursday night, September 30, he saw a program that’s a couple of years ahead of his. Though they fought gamely until the final snap of the game, the Rays (0-3) were no match for Southwest Florida Christian Academy (4-1), falling 49-0 on the Kings’ home turf.

The Kings were bigger, stronger, and more experienced than the Rays. They had a dozen coaches - many of them volunteers - on their sideline.

The Rays countered with a small roster of inexperienced football players and a coaching staff of four.

“I really appreciate all the fans, the families, the support that we have consistently,” Montgomery said after the game. “We had a great week of practice. I’m not sure how that didn’t translate into a better game.”

Montgomery took solace in the mettle his team has shown.

“Honestly, I feel the brotherhood is still there,” he said. "We need to challenge them as coaches. But more importantly, I told them I’m going to go home and look in the mirror and soul search. And look at what I’m doing wrong. I know I’m making mistakes by not either coaching them up or not putting them in the position to be successful. Right now, they’re taking hits on the chin because I’m putting them in a bad position.”

Montgomery is especially proud of his team leaders, who are showing no quit.

"My leaders are stepping up to a point where I had to pull Nick Vergo out because he was willing to run into a wall to make something happen,” Montgomery said. "At that point in the game, we had to look toward next week. We’re ready to look toward next week.”

The coach knew his team was facing a strong program in the Kings, whose only loss was to unbeaten Faith Christian in Orlando.

"I knew this was going to be a great program,” Montgomery said. "They didn’t disappoint. They are nothing but class, from the minute we arrived until now when we’re leaving here. If anything, it gives us something to show our boys what can be. What should be. I told our guys, 'that’s the bar we want to get to.' When we get here and see their middle school team out there practicing. They’re practicing their terminology and getting after it. That’s a program. They have a staff that supports them around here, getting everything ready. That’s a program.”

"We have the support,” he said. "We can’t keep talking. We’ve gotta do. They did not give up. Our character is still scrappy. We’re leaning on each other. I told them, ‘Let us coach and you just play.’ And they’re really embracing that. Even when I’m beyond frustrated, I look out there and the only silver lining I can see is that they’re leaning on each other. They really have faith in each other. I’m going to do everything in my power to not just maintain that spirit but to stoke it. To stoke that fire. Because that’s what it all builds on. I’m not happy with this outcome. But I’m happy with my team as far as them being a team. I’m not losing anybody. I might lose a couple health wise - a couple of guys really laid it out on the line tonight and might have gotten dinged up a little bit - but the attitudes, I have no worries whatsoever as far as that. I like that they’re crushed by this loss and they’re leaning on each other.”

Montgomery said there is one big thing his team gets out of a loss like the one they suffered Thursday night.

“Film,” he said. "We get to see ourselves against a quality team - not our scout team - a bunch of kids that are trying to learn our own offense and defense. We’re going against a group of kids who actually know their system, and it allows us to gauge ourselves. Are we there yet? No, we’re not. Can we be? We should be.”

The Rays host Gateway on Friday, October 8, at 7:00 PM. Gateway (0-5) has taken their lumps this season against a challenging schedule.

“We’re going to come back next week for Gateway,” Montgomery said. "I’ve got a good feeling about it. We’re going to give them a game as long as we handle our business and digest this loss the right way. Then we’ll move forward.”