In sports, winning is not guaranteed.

A recent article in this newspaper explained how the 2003 football season’s record mirrored the same 2-10 mark as 2002. What was not mentioned was the great improvement that was clearly seen in the Skyhawks achievements.

With improvements made on offense and defense, the statistics and players tell a different story.

Winning a conference or homecoming game this season was something that had not happened for the Skyhawks in seven years.

The last Ohio Valley Conference win was in November 1996, and the last homecoming win was in 1994. The losing streak was stretched to 43 games.

Passing the ball more efficiently to the tune of 1,053 yards more than the season before is no small feat to overlook.

Sophomore quarterback Brady Wahlberg broke a school record by completing 44 out of 65 passes and gaining 369 yards against OVC champion Jacksonville State. Wahlberg averaged 60 yards of rushing per game while throwing for an average of 234 yards per game. He rushed for 481 yards and threw for 1,874 this season. Wahlberg was the perfect quarterback for first-year head coach Matt Griffin.

It was unfortunate that Wahlberg was ranked among the national leaders in most statistic categories but was over looked because he only played in eight games.

Taking a young team and implementing a new, but effective, offense is not something you do overnight. Griffin and his staff learned that the new offense would work in the OVC. The offense was capable of attacking defensives and scoring points quickly.

All this excitement kept fans in their seats most Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons. It kept the opposition playing its first team defense until the final horn most weeks.

Defensively the Skyhawks were scored on, but unlike past years. With the exception of three games (Arkansas State, Western Illinois and Samford), the Skyhawks were formidable foes.

For the true Skyhawk fans this year’s 2-10 record is the first step toward an elusive winning season and an eventual championship. Wahlberg thinks this past season was a step in the right direction.

“We weren’t dominated this year like the last. Games were close, and we scored more points,” Wahlberg said. “We missed some big opportunities along the way and we gave up big plays that hurt us. I am really looking forward to next year to turn those close games into big wins.”

Troy Phillipps is a senior Communications major from Key West, Fla.