There’s no good way to lose.

That said, there’s no rule that says a team can’t take some positives away from a loss.

For the Maplesville Red Devils, coming up just short at Class 2A No. 5 Sweet Water on Sept. 28 was tough, but head coach Brent Hubbert pointed out that the game was a learning experience.

“We learned we don’t like to lose,” he said.

The Red Devils got down early to the Bulldogs, 14-0, but Hubbert said his team never gave up.

“We were down to one of the best small school programs in the state,” he said. “We didn’t quit; we found out we had heart, we found out we had guts and we had some character.”

The Red Devils, ranked No. 3 in Class 1A, managed to work their way back, tying the game at 14 before a fourth-quarter field goal and red zone interception by Sweet Water ended the Devils’ hopes for a win.

Despite the loss, Hubbert said his team learned a great deal about how to improve heading into the final five games of the season—and, likely, a deep playoff run.

“We still make mistakes,” he said. “We have to work in some areas and correct mistakes. We got better in some areas in the loss.”

Hubbert said Maplesville’s main focus now is winning Region 3 and positioning for the postseason.

“We’re still battling teams in the region,” he said. “We have a very athletic Ellwood Christian team that’s only lost one game so far, coming up this week. We just have to continue to work on things.”

The Red Devils (4-1 overall, 3-0 in region play) will host the aforementioned Ellwood Christian Warriors (3-2, 2-1) Friday at 7 p.m.