Managing the ups and downs: Fecci reflects on North's rollercoaster season

A little more than a week removed from their last game, McKinney North head football coach Mike Fecci knows that while there's plenty of room for improvement for his program moving forward, there's still a lot to be proud of from this past year.

"It was an up and down year for us," Fecci said. "We had some really good things happen for us, and some things that weren't so good; some things we could control and some things we couldn't. It wasn't by any means what we set out to do and we understand that."

The Bulldogs were 3-7 this season, but due to the tough nature of their district, they were still fighting for a playoff spot up to the second to last game of the season. While they missed the playoffs, North did finish strong, winning two if its last three games, including a strong 62-24 win against Denison in the season finale.

"We showed a lot of resiliency and showed a lot of guts," Fecci said. "In Week 10 that came to a head and they just went out and played and ended their season right."

While this season had its frequent rough patches, Fecci said it proved to be a blessing in disguise as it helped teach his players how to deal with adversity.

"That's the way I look at everything because I try to find a positive in every situation," he said. "It wasn't what we wanted it to be, but if they can walk out of here and learn something that will help them later on in life, later on down the line, I'll count it as a success."

The Bulldogs' troubles largely stemmed not from a lack of talent, rather a lack of health. In particular, the Bulldogs suffered numerous injuries to several key players, making it one of the most injury-riddled teams Fecci said he's ever coached.

"It was a rough year injury-wise, it really was," Fecci said. "We lost critical positions at inopportune times. You lose your running back, your free safety, offensive linemen and then you get a bunch of dings and bruises to other players. It's one of those things you can't control, so there's no point worrying about it. You have to take the hand that's dealt and go out there and try to put a good product out on the grass."

It wasn't just players that were out with injury, but others who had limited roles or capabilities because they were playing through their injuries. That resiliency those players showed, in addition to those that filled in for the players who did miss time, showed Fecci the depth of his team's character.

"At the same time we had a lot of guys step up and take that leadership role," he said. "Justin Jones came through for us big time at running back, as did Ronald Jones. Brandon Bloedel stepped up for us at safety when one starter went down and Uche Ugwunze and Jose Quintero stepped up on the offensive line when other starters went down. Our kids rose to the occasion."

Fecci is particularly proud of his offensive line, which provided solid support all year long.

"Our whole offensive line grew tremendously week after week and the beauty there is they're all coming back," he said. "Our running back position excelled, too."

Ronald Jones, who had 520 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, and Justin Jones, who had 779 rushing yards and five touchdowns, led North's ground game. They were complimented by quarterback Ben Dutze, who finished the year 116-of-228, passing for 1,338 yards and 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, in addition to rushing for five scores, as well.

While the season may not have ended the way they might have liked, Fecci said the strong intangibles he saw from his players spoke volumes about the team he had this past season.

"Sometimes you have those years where the ball ain't bouncing your way for whatever reason and that's kind of what we went through, but I'm so proud of this team and the character they showed," he said. "I'm proud of the fact that we went out there and laid it all on the line each and every week. I never felt like our kids weren't buying in. The year went by so fast. Everybody wanted more."

Current Rating: 0 of 0 votes!

Rate File: Select Rating: * ** *** ****

 Plano Apartments
 Plano Attorneys
 Plano Auto Dealers
 Plano Auto Parts
 Plano Auto Repair
 Plano Beauty Salons
 Plano Car Rental
 Plano Dentists
 Plano Doctors
 Plano Flowers
 Plano Hotels
 Plano Insurance
 Plano Loans
 Plano Mortgages
 Plano Movers
 Plano Pizza
 Plano Realtors
 Plano Restaurants
 Plano Storage
 Plano Tax Preparation
 Plano Travel
 Featured
 More...