Week 5 meant the first win of the season for three area teams.
It had to have felt like a long wait for those programs, but now that there is a number that isn’t zero in the win column, can any of those three teams change things moving forward? It is the ultimate glass half full/half empty scenario. On one hand, you only have one win at the halfway point of the season. On the other hand, you move into the second half of the season with the most momentum of your season.
The most dangerous thing about a winless start is not necessarily the record. It is the doubt that begins to accompany it.
Players start wondering whether the work will ever produce a reward. A mistake feels heavier because it resembles the ones that contributed to previous losses. When adversity arrives, everyone remembers what happened the last time. Confidence erodes, pressure builds and a team can begin playing to avoid another defeat instead of playing to win.
That is why one midseason victory can matter far beyond a single line in the standings.
New Haven, Garrett and Wayne each entered Friday night searching for their first win. By the end of the night, all three had found it in different ways. New Haven edged Norwell 20–18, Garrett overwhelmed Prairie Heights 49–19 and Wayne held off South Side 19–12. Each improved to 1–4, but more importantly, each finally received tangible proof that its season did not have to continue along the same path.
For New Haven, the value came from finding a way to survive a close game. After being outscored 126–18 through its opening four losses, the Bulldogs went on the road and won a two-point Northeast 8 Conference contest.
Garrett’s breakthrough offered a different kind of encouragement. The Railroaders had shown offensive progress while scoring 27 and 28 points in consecutive losses to West Noble and Angola, but they had not been able to turn that production into a victory. After scoring 21 points in the first half on Friday, it was an opportunity to play from ahead, build momentum and feel control return.
Wayne’s win may have carried the greatest emotional relief. The Generals had opened against a punishing schedule that included Leo, Decatur Central, Bishop Dwenger and Snider. They had scored only 20 total points through four games before producing 19 against South Side. The victory did not erase what happened during that opening month, but it demonstrated that surviving those difficult weeks may have prepared Wayne to make winning plays once the margin became manageable, getting the first W in the coach Darrion White era against a South Side team that has had a good start to the season.
All three wins were aided by big defensive efforts. For Wayne, it was a pair of defensive scores from powerhouse Javontae Eldridge (one after a strip from Mykalan Westmoreland, another after a huge hit from Jaston White) and and big late fourth quarter stop of a surging South Side offense. For Garrett, they put pressure on the Panthers passing game all night and ultimately cashed in on defense with a 20 yard scoop and score from sophomore Tre Niman. For New Haven, three sacks and nine tackles from sophomore Jayon Thomas were huge in not letting Norwell get much momentum; junior Max Hartman also had a sack while Jacob Langford (12), Aiden Hoffer (10) and Donald Gage Jr. (10) each produced double digit tackles.
On offense, the Bulldogs got 130 yards passing from senior Kenneth McCraney, paired with a patient running game. Garrett focused on the run as usual, with one of the state’s top rushers Aiden Reed going for 110 yards and two scores, while fellow senior back Alex Guzman carried for 98 yards and two scores – he also added a pair of receptions with a score – while Dawson Hefty caught a season best six passes for 82 yards. Wayne’s lone offensive touchdown came just before the half on a 70 yard connection to Jaston White from quarterback Ryan Smith.
But one win does not automatically right the ship. It only turns the wheel.
A team can waste its breakthrough by treating it as a destination. The same penalties, missed assignments and lapses that contributed to an 0–4 start will return if that elusive victory creates satisfaction instead of urgency. Momentum is often discussed as though it travels on its own, but it must be carried through another week of preparation. The confidence earned on Friday matters only if it produces sharper practices, greater accountability and better execution the following Friday. That is something we will not know about any of these three teams until Week 6 kicks off this coming Friday.
There is also a meaningful difference between believing you can win and understanding how to win. A midseason breakthrough can begin teaching the latter. Players learn what preparation felt like during the week, how teammates responded when the game tightened and which habits held up under pressure.
New Haven, Garrett and Wayne did not repair everything on Friday night. One victory could not restore every missed opportunity from the first four weeks or guarantee anything about the remaining schedule. What it did was interrupt the losing. And sometimes, that interruption is critical.
Can a midseason win help right the ship?
Absolutely. Sometimes a team simply needs proof that the ship can still turn.
These opinions represent those of Blitz and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Blitz on Twitter at Blitz_OTH
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