A rare week off for the Manitou Springs football team may have come at the best of times for this year’s squad.
Originally slated to play St. Mary’s on Sept. 17, the Pirates dropped their program before the season started. The Mustangs picked up a Week 1 game against Rye, which they lost 21-20, and took their bye on Friday, Sept. 10.
The Mustangs (1-2 overall) are at a crucial juncture in the season as they transitioned Tate Christian to quarterback after starting him at wide receiver.
In his first start, he was effective, but still a little unsettled in the position. His best throw of the 10-6 win over Salida was his strike to Ethan Boren, which was good for the game-winning touchdown.
Now with an extra week of practice, he’s feeling more comfortable in his new role.
“We got to go through some walkthrough stuff so I could really see how everything works,” Christian said. “I got to throw more, and it was tough with just three practices for a new position.”
The Mustangs have their hands full on Friday, Sept. 24, as they make the long trip to Alamosa to take on the Mean Moose. Alamosa is riding a two-game winning streak, taking down Monte Vista and then thumping La Junta 42-6.
Knowing the task’s difficulty, coach Stu Jeck also found the timing of an unexpected bye week to be very fortunate.
“This year, more than any other year, is the best time for that bye week,” Jeck said.
“From a quarterback standpoint and down the line, we have a lot of guys in new positions this year. We really took this week and a half to figure out what we needed to get done.”
This Alamosa trip will be the Mustangs’ longest road trip this season. They will host Montezuma-Cortez on Friday, Oct. 1.