Schlieve has Comets off to improved start

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First-year Mayville State head coach Derek Schlieve has accomplished something none of his predecessors have since the inception of the Dakota Athletic Conference.

Halfway through the 2011 season, the Comets are above .500

“I think the thing that’s different is discipline and consistency,” said Schlieve, who spent a year as Beulah High School’s offensive coordinator, among other jobs, prior to returning to his alma mater in 2008. “We’ve put a much bigger emphasis on the little things, realizing we have a long ways to go, but the only way we’re going to get there is chip away at it.”

The Comets are 3-2 and are coming off a 35-13 loss to Jamestown College in their DAC opener last Saturday.

Still, it’s their best start ever as a member of the DAC. In 12 seasons in the league, Mayville State has a 20-95 overall record and a 10-80 mark in conference play.

While the conference disbands after this season, Schlieve is working hard to set the Comets on the right path for their future.

“We’re definitely not there, but we have improved,” he said.

The Comets’ play has caught the eye of DSU head coach Biesiot, a Mayville State alumnus.

“They haven’t put themselves in a hole,” Biesiot said. “They’re taking advantage of other teams’ mistakes. They haven’t made many mistakes during the course of this year.”

The Blue Hawks, however, have long been a thorn in Mayville State’s side.

DSU holds a 46-17-2 edge in the series, including wins in the last 20 meetings.

The last time the Comets came out ahead was in 1990, a 22-21 win. DSU won the seven games prior to that. Biesiot holds a 31-4 record against his alma mater.

Schlieve doesn’t mince words about what it would mean to his team if it could beat DSU today, hand Biesiot his 100th career defeat and drop the Blue Hawks’ record to 1-4.

“That would be huge, one of the bigger wins in program history,” Schlieve said. “It’s kind of been the standard of excellence. To step up and knock off a team like (DSU) would be huge.”

Tags: college football, blue hawks, mayville state comets, sports