To explain Naples' response to just its second season-opening loss in two decades, coach Bill Kramer dug deep, going back to his days in Psychology 101 at Liberty University.
The lack of finger pointing and shifting of blame in the locker room following a 20-14 home loss to Delray Beach American Heritage, Kramer said, was a simple matter of internal locus of control. The theory, established by psychologist Julian Rotter, is the extent of which individuals believe they can control events affecting them based on preparation, attitude and effort.
"Every guy on the field felt completely responsible for how things turned out," Kramer said.
The attitudes weren't much different at Fort Myers and Island Coast, whose losses along with Naples made for an unusual occurrence of three of Southwest Florida's traditional powers starting their seasons 0-1. Meetings this week included a lot of reflection, and practices came with intense focus on improving where each team fell short in their respective game plans.
But, before any of that, the teams needed to give credit to their opponents.
It wasn't by accident Naples faced off against last year's Class 3A runner-up. Or that Fort Myers opened with a Palmetto team featuring one of the top quarterback recruits in the country. Or that Island Coast tested itself against one of the most successful teams in the area over the last decade in South Fort Myers.
Green Wave coach Sam Sirianni Jr. said seeking out top competition is the top priority when he fills out his non-district schedule.
"If I want to find a win, I can find a win," Sirianni said. "That's just not what we do."
Palmetto's strong running game as well as its defensive pressure were exactly how he wanted to test his team early.
He wasn't as happy with its response in the 31-21 loss. Fort Myers struggled with field position all night thanks to shanked punts, bad snaps and a lackluster performance from the return team, usually a strength of the team.
At the same time, Sirianni, whose team faces off with rival North Fort Myers Friday, and his coaching staff reflected on their roles in the defeat.
"You need to look in the mirror," Sirianni said. "It starts with me. I take responsibility for a lot of those mistakes. They wouldn't have been making those mistakes if the coaching staff prepared them better."
Kramer said Naples' downfall where they gave up two crucial long plays on third-and-24 was a matter of execution rather than players not knowing their assignments.
Island Coast suffered through similar problems making plays on defense and forcing passes into tight coverage against South, a team that makes opponents pay for every little mistake.
Most teams separate their seasons into three parts -- non-district games, district games and playoffs. The non-district portion of the schedule is meant to be a learning experience with the film serving as a road map to improvement.
"That's one thing about football," Kramer said. "You get feedback right away."
However, for the elite teams in the area who carry sky-high expectations, confidence after a loss can be a factor.
Holdovers from a Fort Myers team that won 12 straight games last season are now in the midst of a two-game losing streak dating back to last season.
At Naples, which has its most talented squad since 2007, an undefeated regular season wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
Island Coast may have a first-year coach and lost a lot from from its team that reached a regional final last season, but winning has been the expectation since the school opened in 2007.
"I tell these guys it's not a sprint, it's a marathon," Gators coach John Schwochow said. "These aren't district games. Obviously, you'd like to win all the games, but the goal is to win district games and get to the playoffs."
If history is any indication, all three teams could be looking at successful seasons following Week 1 losses.
Sirianni's second official season as head coach at Fort Myers started with a 30-point loss to Naples. Wins over Bradenton Manatee and Venice followed during the 8-4 season, which concluded with a loss to eventual state champion Seffner Armwood.
Either Island Coast or Naples will fall to 0-2 as they play each other Friday night.
In 2008, Naples fell to Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace to open the season. The Golden Eagles went on to win 11 of 12 before losing to Pace in the playoffs.
Island Coast, under Joe Bowen, lost its opener three years in row to Milford (Pennsylvania) Delaware Valley in 2011, to Fort Lauderdale University in 2012 and to Ida Baker in to 2013. Each of those years, the Gators, who travel to Naples Friday, finished no worse than 7-3.
History, however, is not foremost on players' minds, Kramer said.
"We have a great group of kids who realize the opportunity that's in front of them. They want come back from this loss and show they're a great team more than anybody," Kramer said. "What it's going take is a group of players that are accountable for themselves and their teammates."