Things didn’t go the way Durant had hoped in a 27-7 Kickoff Classic loss to Gaither last week, but Cougars coach Mike Gottman is optimistic about his team’s chances heading into Friday’s home game against rival Plant City.

The reason? “I think we had a great week of practice,” Gottman said.

Gottman said his team was plagued by several miscues – turnovers, penalties and numerous missed assignments – in the loss to the Cowboys. Gaither scored 27 unanswered points after quarterback Je’Twan Smith’s first-quarter touchdown run staked the Cougars to an early lead.

“We wanted to clean up the mistakes,” Gottman said. “We worked real hard on our mental preparation, mental toughness.”

The best news was that the Cougars didn’t suffer any significant injuries against Gaither, meaning they’ll have a full squad as they try to avenge a 2007 season-opening loss to the Raiders.