(Maryville) — The first two weeks of this unique football season has been even more than that for the Maryville football team.

With their numbers dwindling due to contact tracing from positive COVID-19 tests, the Spoofhounds (1-1) have battled against two very strong opponents. Following a blowout loss to Blair Oaks in their opener, Maryville posted an exciting come-from-behind 42-40 win over Harrisonville.

“In today’s times, you watch the news and wonder about young people,” Coach Matt Webb told KMA Sports, “but I’ve never been so proud of a group of kids to watch the perseverance and fortitude to come back.”

Maryville actually led by three scores early in the game, but Harrisonville battled back and took a 10-point fourth quarter lead before the Spoofhounds enacted a comeback of their own.

“To win in the fourth shows a lot of grit, family-ness and togetherness,” Webb said. “Some kids really laid it on the line out there. We talk about the home field advantage and the Hound Pound magic. We saw that on Friday night.”

What they also saw was something Coach Webb and his program have been preaching for a number of years. It’s that, it takes what it takes.

“That’s our mottos this year,” Webb said. “For that to come into fruition (on Friday night), those kids learned that the reason you never quit is because no matter the adversity in front you, you can overcome it. That’s a lesson they will remember for the rest of their life.”

The ‘Hounds will now take that attitude into their Midland Empire Conference opener with Chillicothe on Friday evening. The Hornets (0-2) lost their first two games of the season to Marshall (21-7) and Kirksville (27-21).

However, they present a challenging game plan each week with their patented flexbone offense having gone for 404 total yards on the ground in the first two games.

“If you ever watch Army on TV, it just puts you in such a bind defensively,” Webb said. “You have to be perfect on every snap. They’re so talented at their skill positions that if you don’t do that they’ve got the ability to really bust a long run.”

Maryville has won 13 of the last 14 meetings between the two teams, and they will be back at the Hound Pound where they’ve won their last 32 conference games, dating back to the 2010 season.

“We’ll need to control the line of scrimmage,” Webb said. “I think every coach says that every week, but they’re really good at their option stuff. It’s one thing to get these guys in year one or even year two, but this is all they know now. You’ve got to be really good with technique up front.

“When we’re on offense, we’ve got to execute, get past that first level and get our guys in the open field. When we do, I think we’ve got a chance to bust some really big plays.”

Mat Beu will have reports from Maryville/Chillicothe on Friday evening. Hear all of KMA Sports’ coverage on AM 960 and FM 99.1 from 6:20 to midnight.

Listen to the complete interview with Coach Webb linked below.