The South Whidbey Falcons are shaking off Friday’s 28-6 loss in football to Archbishop Murphy and gearing up for Thursday’s cross-island contest with Coupeville.

Falcon co-coach Mark Hodson said it became clear early on that the Archbishop Murphy game would be a serious challenge.

“Friday morning I found out that Danny Zuver and Hunter Rawls would not be able to play. That was a huge impact on our game play,” Hodson said. “That’s a lot to overcome.”

Both seniors were out due to illness.

“We had to adjust our game plans, both offensively and defensively,” he said.

Murphy jumped out to a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, and held the Falcons scoreless in the half, leading 21-0 at the break.

South Whidbey responded with a 50-yard touchdown run by Henry Mead, but could pull no closer. Mead finished with 82 yards on 14 carries.

“We knew they were going to make plays, we knew they were going to make yards,” Hodson said.

There were plenty of positives, however.

“Dustin Varney had a really good game at linebacker,” Hodson said. “Jon Poolman was our leading tackler; that was the best he had played at that safety position all year.”

“The kids we had played hard,” Hodson said, adding that South Whidbey expected a tough battle against the conference’s top team. Murphy is now 6-0 in the conference and 7-1 overall. The Falcons are 3-3 in Cascade play and 4-4 overall.

“They could have really put their heads in the sand. They didn’t,” he said. “They had a real competitive spirit about them. It made it a joy to be a coach.”

The Falcons play at home Thursday night against Coupeville. The Wolves forfeited last week against Cedarcrest when the team couldn’t field enough players due to illness and injuries.

Hodson said he expects Coupeville to come ready to play. The game is the annual “Old Water Bucket” contest, with the winner taking home the prized pail.

“It’s an island game. They’ll be well,” Hodson said.

And then some, he added.

“The kids from Coupeville, they are always physical. They always play up for our game,” he said, adding that the team is one of the better-coached squads in the league.

“They always have something they are going to get you on,” Hodson said.