OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea – As quick a start as they got the week before, the Humphreys Blackhawks couldn’t seem to get out of their own way in the early stages of Friday’s 31-8 win at Osan.

“Just the total opposite of Daegu,” Blackhawks coach Aaron Mundy said, recalling their 38-12 loss at the Warriors on Sept. 12, a game in which Humphreys scored on its first two possessions, including the game’s first play.

Mundy said a couple of his senior leaders “were not ready to play,” and that after some motivational talks on the sideline, “it lit the fire and got it going.” The Blackhawks improved to 2-1 in Division II and 2-2 overall.

Osan (0-3), Mundy said, did a good job of shutting down the edges after Humphreys’ DaiQuan Wilson and Tyreke Slaughter found the end zone, so the Blackhawks pounded it up the gut with fullback Stephen Conkright leading the way. “He was the bull tonight,” Mundy said.

Mundy spent much of the second half and then a couple of hours afterward attending to a couple of injured players. The remaining scoring plays and Blackhawks individual statistics were not immediately available.

As for the Cougars, they got on the scoreboard for the first time this season, on Wesley Hardin’s 12-yard scoring pass to Brent Smith, and the defense didn’t give up any big plays, which pleased coach Don Tusha. Hardin finished 12-for-20 for 156 yards.

“It could have gone either way in the first half,” Tusha said. “It got away from us in the second half. We just couldn’t get field position.”

Osan next visits Daegu at 6 p.m. Friday. Humphreys has the week off before a home clash with Daegu, unbeaten in Division II.

A win would put either team in the driver’s seat for the visitor’s berth in the Nov. 7 Far East D-II title game.

“What’s nice is, we’re home next time and we’re moving forward,” Mundy said.

Migrated