Mukes meant offense, defense and special teams. He meant penalties and turnovers. Being ready to play. Everything.
The Warriors showed life in the final 16 minutes, but they already trailed by three touchdowns and lost 28-12 to visiting Canton McKinley.
“Gotta give credit to Canton McKinley,” Mukes said. “They came down here and did what they were supposed to do.”
Wayne (2-1) was looking for its first 3-0 start since its undefeated 2016 regular season. McKinley (1-2) was looking for its first win, and the Bulldogs took advantage of Wayne mistakes, situations and a methodical running game.
The first break was a 64-yard punt to bury Wayne deep in its own territory. Wayne followed with a short punt that gave the Bulldogs possession at the Wayne 28. Five plays later, the Bulldogs had overcome a holding penalty to take a 7-0 lead on Treyton Mackey’s 12-yard run.
Next, the Warriors made a bad snap on field-goal attempt and the Bulldogs turned that around into a 60-yard scoring drive for a 14-0 lead. A Wayne personal foul aided McKinley’s touchdown drive in the third quarter that made the score 21-0.
“We were a little flat, and that’s something we have to get better at and coming ready to compete when the game starts,” Mukes said. “I’m not making excuses. We’ve just got to get better.”
Wayne started freshman Tyrell Lewis at quarterback again. But with the offense not moving in the first half, Mukes turned to senior leading receiver and backup quarterback Bryan Kinley for most of the rest of the game.
“Just looking for a spark and trying to get the young fella to settle down a little bit,” said Mukes, who said Lewis is still very much in the team’s plans.
Kinley rushed for 131 yards (118 in the second half) and an 11-yard touchdown to make the score 21-6 with 9:28 left. Kinley made a big run late in the third quarter to the McKinley 40 but fumbled the ball away. On another fourth-quarter drive, a personal foul for a late block short-circuited a drive.
Kinley’s running also opened the inside lanes more for running back Jordan Ward, who rushed for 92 of his 123 yards in the second half and scored from the one with 1:04 left. The Warriors ended up rushing for 276 yards on 50 carries and outgained McKinley 321-233.
“We might have come out just a little bit flat,” said Wayne senior linebacker Adam Trick. “We definitely picked it up as the game progressed. Coming out of half we had a lot more energy. I just wish we would’ve kept that energy through the full game.”
McKinley rushed for 198 yards on 50 carries. Mackey had 117 yards and Khris Williams 93. Early on the gains were short, but as the game progressed, they began to gain chunks of 10 to 15 yards.
“They’re just a very physical team,” Trick said. “Their run game, we were able to contain it early, but throughout the stretch of the game it was very physical and was wearing down on us. We made some adjustments, but in the end their run game we were having some trouble with.”
The Warriors will spend this week trying to get better, and the schedule doesn’t get easier. Springfield comes to town on Friday for the Greater Western Ohio Conference opener. The Wildcats beat the Warriors 21-14 last season in the opener and 31-19 in a second-round playoff game.
“We’ll be pumped next week,” Trick said. “We’re going to out this one behind us.”
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