This past Friday capped off the first football season for Coach Cody Gilmore and your Cordell Blue Devils. We welcomed the Blue Devils from Walters for the final district game and the final home football game for the seniors. Before the game started, we celebrated their years and dedication to Blue Devil Athletics. Those included in senior night were: Cheerleader- Tristen Reimer. Softball-Emma Estes. Football- JD Maddox, Cooper Campbell, and Aiden Middendorf.
The game kicked off with a cold breeze and only got colder as the night went on. The Blue Devils took the field with 12 players. We finished the night with 11. Offensively we were able to have a little success moving the ball on the ground. We completed a few passes for some positive yards, but once again, we couldn’t find the end zone. Senior Aiden Middendorf started his final game at quarterback and led the offense. Sophomore running back Dayton Bartlett was once again the leading rusher on the night. He had some big runs for us like he has done all year.
On the other side of the ball, we had trouble stopping the stout Walters rushing attack. We made some good stops; they were just able to capitalize on some big plays. Our guys played all three phases without a break. They have a lot to be proud of. They never gave up. They showed up and did what we asked them to do. Many of them played through injuries and bumps, but they kept fighting.
This year we have had a lot of learning moments. New Coaching staff mixed with young players and some that have never played before is not a combination for the faint of heart. These guys are made from different material. The 12 we finished the season with have been through the ringer and back multiple times. We had a bunch that stepped up and decided to give us some bodies for practice. But they never gave up. They kept fighting. We will miss the seniors that are going on, but they have been a key part of building the foundation of our program. We will miss their leadership, but they have led by example and we have some juniors that have followed their lead and will step up and help us continue to build our program back up. We hated to end our year the way it did, but we are thankful for the journey. We’ll see you guys next year! B.I.T.S. GO BIG BLUE!