DV football notebook: Hinds says loss will help later in season

A loss is a loss is a loss. That's the beat football coaches march to.

Still, a loss can turn into a lesson. It's something DV coach Dan Hinds hopes his squad can take advantage of on the heels of Thursday night's 20-7 loss to Peoria Centennial.

"They out-played us the second half," he said after the game. "They came out and out-played us.

"Playing a team like Centennial, it gets us ready for the playoffs," he added. "Playing teams like this, it gets us ready for our region and the playoffs. They said this (Centennial) was the best football team in the state, they probably are."

Centennial's first touchdown a sneaky one

Desert Vista's defense was outstanding Thursday night -- save for one play, Anthony Hughes' 25-yard touchdown where he broke away from a logjam up the middle late in the second quarter.

"He dove in, and there was just a huge pile, so we all just started pushing the pile back," said DV linebacker Lee Williams. "Myself, I couldn't see him anywhere. I just saw a big pile, and I just - as small as I am, I try to get into the pile to try to stop it. He just snuck out of there. I don't know if one of out players touched him or what, but he just snuck out of there. That's unfortunate that that happened, but otherwise, I thought we played a heck of a game."