A new feature at Outside the Huddle, we will connect with area coaches on occasion to get their takes on big wins, huge matchups upcoming and more.
This week, we tracked down newly-crowned Colts/NFL Coach of the Week in Indiana for Week 1 – Garrett’s Chris DePew.
Q: What worked so well against Adams Central and was your defense’s effort in particular surprising in terms of its dominance?
A: We returned a lot of people from last year’s defense and performances were similar in summer scrimmages, but you never really know for sure until that first Friday night. All the kids digested the game plan and played fast without hesitation.
Q: What does a win like that to start the season help in terms of momentum?
A: Well, half of us lose every Friday, so this is better for sure. We’ve spent the last couple of years having to at times accept moral victories in the name of improvement, but we’re better now, I hope, so we should expect more than just playing without necessarily winning.
Q: Take us through the sequence with (quarterback Calder Hefty) at the end of the half and his uh, issue.
A: We got the ball back with a minute-something to go. He scrambled on a pass play for a long run. Then he puked everywhere and we had to take him out. We put his freshman cousin in for the two-point conversion, which failed. We sent Calder to the locker room to rehydrate for the 2nd half, but then we recovered the ball on their muffed kickoff return. Calder heard the roar of the crowd and figured he needed to get back out to us. He sprinted straight from the entry gate to the field, gets a play from me and then executes a perfect read on a pass for another TD, including a 2-point conversion. We let him rest after that for halftime.
Q: Now you have DeKalb on the road, has it been easy to refocus for Week 2 with such a veteran team?
A: Experienced teams in high school are so relevant. This group comes ready to play. Focus for this rivalry isn’t hard to find.
Q: You were awarded with the statewide coach of the week award presented by the Colts. How did that feel and what does it say about your entire program?
A: It was definitely a surprise Sunday morning phone call. I’ve watched some of my friends win the award and always thought it would be pretty cool. I didn’t realize all it entails (money, practice visit, game tickets, tailgate, etc.). I am so thankful for it. As with all “coaching” awards, it really reflects the hard work put in by the players and the rest of the coaching staff. Our kids and assistants deserve all the praise and congratulations that come with this. We are lucky to have the Colts organization, which supports football in Indiana so well at every level and in all its forms.
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