Porter aims to end OT curse

By Kenton Brooks

Don’t misunderstand the Porter Pirates when the players say they’re sick of the playoffs.

They’re not tired about going to the postseason once again, but they are fed up with losing in overtime in the first round for the last two years.

Going into Friday’s Class B opening round game at home against Weleetka, the Pirates have lost the last two years by a combined seven overtimes. They lost in four overtimes to Depew last season and three overtimes to Davenport two years ago.

That dubious distinction has worn thin with coach Ron Coppedge and the Pirates.

“It’s unheard of, and we thought for awhile we were jinxed in overtime,” Coppedge said. “The last two years have been tough. We don’t want to be thought of a program that can make the playoffs and is unable to win.”

The players don’t want their team to be thought or that way either, particularly those who have been on the squad these last three seasons.

“You can’t go back and say we’ll win it next week,” Derick Myers, a senior tight end/defensive end said. “It’s been hard to watch and be part of it. It hurts. It’s not a disappointment, but more like you replay plays in your head and wish you could’ve done something.”

Devin Johnson, a senior cornerback/tight end, replays tne end of last year’s loss to Depew.

“You could see everybody had their head down,” he said. “The atmosphere was so depressing because we knew we should’ve won. I don’t want to be one and done. This has made me hungry to go out for a win. Weleetka is a very good team, and all of their players are good. I think we’ve got a good shot.”

The Pirates’ confidence in winning this time comes from the experience of the last two years and this season’s squad that’s unbeaten through 10 games. Porter finished this season ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll and enters the postseason with its first undefeated regular season and District B-4 title in school history.

“We’re older and more focused,” junior linebacker/fullback Marcus Bruner said. “We’re practicing even harder now, just like it’s a game. There’s no doubt we can do it this year. We’re trying not to let the last two years happen this year.”

Coppedge was an assistant coach in the three-overtime loss and in his first year as a head coach last season in the four-overtime game. He sees a different — and possibly better — Pirates’ team taking the field Friday night.

“We’re a more balanced team than we have been in the past,” he said. “We can throw the ball with some accuracy. We’ve seen about every defense under the sun. Oaks came out last week in a 5-2-1 formation. It’s made our passing game stronger because we know we have to back up a defense to run the ball.

“Going into this season, we wanted to beat Watts, which we thought was the team to beat in our district. We also wanted to win district and win our first playoff game. We’ve achieved two of our three goals.”

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