Ups and downs in the season aren’t stopping these Beaver Area Bobcats from getting better . . . but the Bobcats need injured players to get better.

The odds are again against the Bobcats this season with the injury number rising. The Bobcats lost senior quarterback Brady Hansen after week one when he tore is right ACL after recovering from surgery on his torn left ACL last season.

They also lost defensive tackle and offensive guard, sophomore Cade Pattinson, to a broken fibula during week one against the Blackhawk Cougars.

A torn MCL has stopped short junior inside linebacker Conner Martin’s season.

And lastly, the Bobcats lost junior defenseman Ben Conjeski after he ruptured his ACL, tore his meniscus, and sprained his LCL and PCL during the week-one game.

Injuries are a part of football, but this many serious injuries are quite uncommon in the Bobcats’ season.

Even with all the injuries the Bobcats are face, they aren’t losing hope.

Numerous position changes have had to be made because of the injuries. For example, senior Scott Wilson has been the starting center since freshman year; however, this year Wilson has been moved to guard and junior Kyle Spickler is now the center.

Also, with Hansen’s injury, senior Marco Mamone stepped up to take the quarterback spot.

Finally, senior James Finch has always been a wide receiver and is now a wide receiver and also a fullback due to Beaver’s new I-formation.

“I think that one of our best assets in the game is our defense,” stated junior running back Wyatt Ringer. “Our defense has played hard for the past couple weeks, and if we keep that up we can win big games.”

Ringer isn’t the only one who thinks this. Senior Jaydin Sallis believes that the Bobcats’ defense is what is going to win games for them.

Experience is always key. Junior Mason Lang explained that the Bobcats have a lot of experience with grades sophomore through senior because of numerous injuries last year as well.

Sallis also believes that the spectator limit has benefited the team because communication is more clear without fan noise. However, Lang and Ringer state that the spectator limitation has hurt their team because they don’t have the hundreds of fans cheering them on play by play.

This Friday, the Bobcats face the New Castle Canes away at 7 p.m.

“I think we will be all right. If we play our game and minimize turnovers, our defense will play great again and shut them down. So, hopefully we will walk away with a Beaver win,” stated Lang.

Ringer agrees, but also added that the Bobcats need to “hold down their quarterback.”

This past Friday they faced Aliquippa at home on the Pat Tarquinio field where they suffered a punishing 50-7 loss to the Quips.

The Bobcats held the always-impressive Quips in check in the first half. After the second quarter the score stood at 18-7 Quips—hardly a blow-out. But the second half was a different story seeing the Quips score 32 unanswered points before the clock ran out.

The Bobcats, battered and bruised, are still standing with a 1-2 record.