The Hayden High School football needs its players to develop both leadership abilities and a sense of urgency. That was coach Ryan Wilkie’s takeaway Saturday afternoon after the team lost on the road at South Park, 22-0.

“We’ve got to create a sense of urgency as players, as coaches,” Wilkie said. “We’ve got to build confidence and toughness. We’re looking for leadership and kids who want to play with urgency.”

The Tigers, 1-2, played well in the first two games of their season, winning the opener and losing a tight contest at home. Saturday, however, the team couldn’t hang with South Park, struggling to move the ball consistently and stop the Burros when necessary.

Hayden drove the ball into the red zone four times and inside the 10-yard line twice. It couldn’t cash in on any of those opportunities, however, and was stopped on fourth down each time.

“They were physical,” Wilkie said of South Park. “They out-physicaled us. They were able to man us up and put four guys in the box and handle us. Across the board, we didn’t get it done.”

The team got 59 yards passing from junior quarterback Garrett St. Clair, who went 6 for 20 on the day. He also led the team rushing, gaining 53 yards on 16 carries.

Next up for Hayden is a trip Saturday to play at Miami Yoder High School in Rush.

To reach Joel Reichenberger, call 970-871-4253, email jreichenberger@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @JReich9