Basile takes on Grand Lake; looks to extend win streak

How does a 1-3 season turn into a 5-3 season, when all signs pointed to a disappointing football campaign?
Very simply. Improve on the running game enough to make the passing game very effective and play the type of defense that championships are built upon. Add those two ingredients together and you get the Basile Bearcats.
After the first four games of the year, Basile did not really have an identity. However, with each week, the Bearcats improved in every phase of the game. And because of that improvement, Basile is riding a four game winning streak and is poised to host a first round playoff game come the second weekend in November.
As of the latest playoff power ratings, the Bearcats stood in the No. 7 position and are hoping to climb that ladder even farther, as they travel to Grand Lake on Thursday, looking to pick up their fifth win in a row. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
“I knew this team was capable of being something special,” stated Basile head coach Kevin Bertrand. “We just had to work out the kinks. Our schedule at the beginning of the year was a real test for us. I think that playing that tough of a schedule has made our players work harder each week to get better and find that confidence in themselves that was missing.”
Last week against a team that out weighed the Bearcats by sometimes over 100 pounds per man up front, Basile was able to put up some impressive numbers, especially in the run game.
“The thing that has really gone well for us the past four games is that we are now finishing drives,” said Bertrand. “We had a tremendous 95-yard drive against Oberlin. We are going to need to continue doing that this week and in to the future. Grand Lake is a well-coached team that plays solid defense. They can run the ball and are hard-nosed on the offensive and defensive fronts.”