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HUNDRED -- After a winning its first three games on the field and getting another win by forfeit, Madonna has dropped three of its last four in what have been close games against good teams.
However, the Blue Dons are set to head on the road for the last two games and are still very much in contention to get into the playoff field in Class A, sitting at No. 13.
That push for the postseason begins Friday with a trip to Hundred, who is 0-7.
"I talked to the team (Monday), and they were very disappointed (after the loss to Conotton Valley), and I don't blame them," Madonna coach Dan Rovira said. "Every game we have lost this year, we have been right there in the fourth quarter. Last year, when we lost, we got killed, so we're coming along.
"These next two games are games that we can win. These are games we should win. If we don't win them, we don't belong in the playoffs. These are schools that are our size."
While Hundred has not won yet this season, Rovira is focused on his guys taking care of business first and foremost.
"Hundred is struggling a little bit, that's no secret," Rovira said. "If we go down there and play our game, we should be OK. And, that is no disrespect to Hundred. They are fighting a lot of the same things most small schools are fighting.
"We have to take care of business."
The Hornets, Rovira said, will be playing their fourth game in about a two week span after also taking on Hancock Maryland on Tuesday.
"They run a spread offense," Rovira said. "I think they're trying to find something like we were a couple weeks ago. Their coach (D.J. Byrd) is a really good guy, I have talked to him here and there."
"Good for him, because even though they are (0-7), they're not hanging it up, they are still showing up and wanting to play games. I respect that."
While sitting at No. 13 after being third what doesn't seem like that long ago may not be how the Blue Dons imagined things going, Rovira knows there is a still a lot of opportunity in front of his team.
"When we were third, we had only played four games," Rovira said. "We are just trying to get better. We're 13th, we're in the playoffs right now and a lot of teams behind us wish they were 13th, I told the team we have a chance to go 7-3, maybe move up a couple of spots and a lot of teams would take being 7-3 at the end."
One thing that has been there even in the losses is a valient effort.
"Our effort has been awesome," Rovira said. "I've had these guys for two years now and they are understanding the effort that it takes to win. I am very pleased with our effort the last couple weeks.
"We have lost to teams that will be in the playoffs or are in the playoffs in Ohio, and we were right there in all of them. I can't complain about the effort.
"I'm trying to teach these guys how to be teammates, how to play the game right, and it's been coming along pretty good. The winning will take care of itself."