Outside the Huddle’s Spring Football series will appear periodically throughout the next few months as we check in on area football programs prior to the rigors of season prep in July and August. What are the things that teams want to get accomplished before the pressures of preparing for the start of the season? OTH reached out to coaches for some answers.
Bishop Luers enters the spring with high expectations for 2021, both inside and outside the program. The Knights advanced to the Class 2A state championship game and seemingly had the game in hand in the fourth quarter, but let it slip away in an eventual 36-35 defeat at the hands of Western Boone.
With record-setting quarterback Carson Clark and a cadre of offensive weapons set to return, the fall is shaping up to be a good one for Bishop Luers.
But what questions need answered for Coach Kyle Lindsay?
1. FINDING THE COMMITMENT TO BE GREAT
As mentioned, last year culminated in a trip to Lucas Oil Stadium with the Class 2A state championship on the line. But while the end of the campaign was something to be remembered, the journey to get there wasn’t pretty at times.
The Knights lost six times in the SAC – three of which finished with a running clock due to the large deficit. The defense allowed an average of 33.4 points per game and surrendered 35 of more points on 10 different occasions.
Before Bishop Luers even thinks about being an SAC title contender, it must get better on defense.
“We are looking for guys who are using 2020’s shortcomings as fuel to get stronger and faster,” Lindsay said. “We are looking for guys who want to compete for an SAC championship – not through talk, but through their work.”
2. DEDICATION AND DESIRE
Whether his players are participating in a spring sport or not, Coach Lindsay wants to see the dedication to their craft, their teammates and the team at large. That factor hasn’t always been present during off-season conditioning.
“We are looking to see who is dedicated to this football team – who is putting the team before themselves,” Lindsay said. “And for those playing spring sports, who is out there really competing and trying to make their teams winners, versus who is doing a sport so they don’t have to lift weights.”
3. LEADERSHIP
This will be a common theme throughout most area coaches’ ‘to-do’ lists in the spring. As winter’s lifting programs gives way to some actual football drill on the field, every team will need leaders to emerge for the grind of the season.
For Bishop Luers, it has the benefit of returning many of its top performers – but sometimes your best leaders aren’t necessarily your best players. Will the ultra-talented senior class step up in the locker room and behind the scenes like it did a year ago on the field? Can guys like Clark and Sir Hale be those vocal guys that the offense looks to? What about Mason Daring and Krashaun Menson on defense?
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