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AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


We Are The Champions

by: David Purdum
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Earning the state champion title means different things to different coaches.

After the Gatorade is dumped, after the trophies are raised, after the last party is over, the coaches of the 300-plus high school state champions have time to reflect on their seasons and what winning the state title meant to them, their players, their schools and their communities.

To some, becoming a state champion is the culmination of their coaching career. For others, it’s the continuation of a winning tradition. But whether it’s their first championship or tenth, taking home the trophy is an occasion to celebrate and also think about the reasons for their success.

Every year, AFM contacts state champion head coaches and asks them to share the stories behind their winning seasons. And every year, more and more coaches say that the journey is at least as important as the title. The maturing of players, the overcoming of adversity, the bringing together of coaches, players and communities can all be just as rewarding as winning a championship.

That’s a great lesson for all high school coaches. Winning is an important thing, but it’s no longer the only thing. Take it from the coaches who participated in this year’s AFM state champions recap – it’s the things you do during the season as a leader of young men that matter the most.


STATE CHAMPIONS REPORT 2015

Lance Mancuso
Bassfield High School (MS)

It was an emotional loss. Everyone – players, coaches and the community – felt it.

In the final game of the regular season, Bassfield, the two-time defending state champion, was clinging to a three-point lead against archrival East Marian, a fellow Mississippi powerhouse located just 10 miles down the road from Bassfield.

Facing a fourth down at midfield with a minute left in the fourth quarter, Bassfield coach Lance Mancuso elected to punt. The snap sailed over the punter’s head and was recovered by East Marian at the Yellowjackets’ 10-yard line. Four plays later, on fourth down, East Marian punched it in to pull out a miraculous 24-20 win.

The Yellowjackets were emotionally devastated. But they would have their revenge.

Sensing his team’s mood, Mancuso tried to stick to the routine during the following Monday practice – film study, weightlifting and installation of the game plan for the next game.

“It was probably more laid-back than usual,” said Mancuso, who has led the Yellowjackets to four state championships since taking over in 2008.

“We actually had some seniors get up during film session and talk about what it meant to be a part of this program and what it meant to have the opportunity to defend their state title and begin a new season with the playoffs.”

The seniors’ message resonated with the team, as Bassfield headed into the playoff. The Yellowjackets beat their first three playoff opponents by a combined score of 169-53.

A rematch with East Marian was next. Bassfield prevailed in the rematch, surviving a four-overtime thriller, 18-12, to advance to the state championship game.

“It was just remarkable. Unbelievable,” Mancuso said.

Bassfield went on to defeat Calhoun City, 60-35, in the championship game to capture their third consecutive state title. It was the second three-peat for the Yellowjackets, who are the only program to accomplish that feat in the state. But it wasn’t easy.

In addition to the emotionally-draining loss to East Marian, Bassfield also had to overcome the loss of two key offensive linemen and a star running back during the heart of district play.

The Yellowjackets run the wing-T, something that is taught throughout their program and down through the middle school feeder systems. Having the offensive scheme ingrained in younger players has consistently paid dividends at the varsity level, when players have gone down. In addition, this year, Bassfield was able to overcome those injuries thanks to Mancuso’s philosophy of distributing playing time during games.

“We play a lot of kids,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate that our younger guys have been able to get into the varsity ball games in the second half. That helped their maturing process. That’s been key for us the past few years, that ability to get those young guys in the game throughout the season.” Bassfield finished the season at 15-1.

James Cordova
Judge Memorial High School (UT)

Coach James Cordova arrived at Judge Memorial as a yeller and screamer. That tactic didn’t resonate with a program that had struggled for years. So Cordova evolved into more of a teacher, a state championship teacher.

“I still yell plenty,” Cordova said with a chuckle. “But when I took over, we were a program in dire straits. I decided to become more of a teacher and less of a commander.”

It worked. The Bulldogs won their second straight state championship in 2014. But it wasn’t easy. An early-season loss to a larger program took a hefty toll on Cordova’s already thin roster. Rebounding from that loss would fuel another championship run.

In week 2, Judge Memorial lost to Woods Cross, 27-14. It was a humbling and painful defeat to a program two classifications above the Bulldogs. Cordova saw five starters go down with injury during the game, including his two leading rushers. His starting senior running back and senior wing-back, both team captains, were among the wounded and would miss time going forward.

Cordova walked into the locker room, looked around and then challenged his team, pointing out that they had competed with a much larger program and could have come away victorious.

“We were pretty effective against them, but just couldn’t keep it together,” Cordova said, noting that his team dropped two potential touchdown passes. “We built off of that point and said, ‘Look, we were out there competing with a much bigger program. If we would have gone into that game believing that we could have competed, it could have had a different outcome.’”

It was next man up for Cordova and the Bulldogs, who rebounded with 11 straight wins to capture the state championship. The following week of practice was spent implementing backups into the starting roles. It wasn’t especially challenging, Cordova said, because he and his staff emphasize each player’s role and responsibilities, regardless if they’re starters or backups.

“We try to break it down into ‘do your job, know your job, know your responsibilities,” Cordova said. “By teaching what my expectations are and what I want from them to do in specific situations, I think we develop a better understanding and trust. I’m still loud and boisterous, but I make sure they know what I’m talking about instead of just yelling at them and expecting results. For some reason we feel like we can yell a kid into results instead of teaching a kid into results.”

In addition to changing how he delivers his message, Cordova also adjusted the time constraints he puts on his players and staff.

“We do a lot less as a program with lots of down time so the kids have lives,” Cordova said. “My lifting program is much smaller and shorter as well. I encourage my boys to play as many sports as they can. They learn to compete by playing in competitive situations.”

Rick Rhoades
Cameron Yoe High School (TX)

The delivery couldn’t have arrived at a better time. The young, inexperienced Cameron Yoe Yoemen had stumbled out to a 2-4 start, the year after winning the state championship in 2013. Then the package arrived.

The package was the standard recruiting material from the University of Michigan. It featured a motivational poem with one central theme: “Don’t quit. Greatness is right around the corner.”

Coach Rick Rhoades and his staff disseminated the message to the team on social media and in meetings. The Yoemen believed, regrouped and went on to repeat as state champions.

“I think they needed to hear that at that time in the season. I think as coaches we need to hear that at that time of the season as well,” Rhoades told American Football Monthly. “We didn’t change any schemes or anything. They just got better at what we were doing. As a result, we started to win some games.”

Rhoades and his staff fostered that improvement in practice with a positive approach that focused on what players were doing right as much or more as what they were doing poorly. They set out to encourage a team that featured only 14 seniors and six returning starters, three on offense and three on defense.

“One of the things we preach in our program and staff is to be a good finder. Find the good things the kids are doing, not just tell them the bad things they’re doing,” Rhoades said. “Find those good elements and tell them about them and re-enforce those things. That plays a part in it. Let the kids know that they are getting better, even though we’re not seeing the results on the scoreboard right now. They are getting better and they are on the verge of being a good football team. As long as you keep preaching that to the kids, and they see the results, that’s a big difference-maker.”

While the team was struggling early, Rhoades paid special attention to his QB’s confidence.

“I spend a lot of time with my quarterbacks before the season,” Rhoades said. “The big thing is you can’t break a kid’s spirit, especially at a position as critical as QB. You’ve got to keep coaching and encouraging the good things he was doing. I always tell them that when things are going good, you’re going to get a whole lot more credit than you deserve. But when things are going bad, you’re going to get a whole lot more blame than you deserve.”

It all started to come together. His quarterback began making plays, and the team’s increasing confidence and enthusiasm became evident during practice. The Yoemen won their last 10 games and concluded a prolific playoff run with a 70-40 win over Mineola in the state championship game, which included a 64-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw.

The Yoemen averaged 53.5 points per game during their playoff run and captured their third straight state championship.

Lance Ware
Shelby High School (NC)

Tied with a red-hot Mount Pleasant squad late in the second half of a North Carolina state semifinal contest, the Shelby Golden Lions were in need of a drive.

Shelby coach Lance Ware turned the offense over to the unit that, heading into the season, was one of the biggest question marks on the team – the O-line. The Lions returned just one starter on the O-line, a right tackle. The unit, Ware said, needed to gel in order for the team to reach its potential.

Six players had rotated on the offensive line throughout the year, but it wasn’t until nine minutes left in the semifinal showdown with Mount Pleasant that Ware felt comfortable relying solely on his guys up front.

“We went on about a seven-play scoring drive. We ran the ball every time,” Ware said proudly. “We just kind of road them, leaned on them to get moving and create separation for our running backs, who ran hard too. That kind of propelled us to the state championship.”

Shelby pulled away from Mount Pleasant, a team that entered the semifinals on a 12-game winning streak, and went on to defeat Clinton 31-7 in the state championship game, despite losing a starter on the offensive line during the game.

It was the Golden Lions’ second straight state title, and Ware said it wouldn’t have been possible if the offensive line had not come together. The unit spent time together at cookouts and playing Cornhole at offensive line coach Will Banks’ house.

“Anything to build that camaraderie,” Ware said. “You really saw those guys grow up during the season.”

Shelby switched from the wing-T to a spread attack four seasons ago. Ware’s scheme is based on an inside and outside zone blocking scheme, while also featuring quick traps and counter treys. The O-line wasn’t overly big, averaging around 6-1, 240, but they were mobile, something that is very important in Ware’s scheme.

“They have to be mobile, because we ask them to do a lot in the screen game,” Ware said. “Feet, footwork, they were able to keep their feet moving on contact. The biggest thing we see with young guys is that what you’re trying to develop is enable them to run through the defender and not stop your feet. Whenever you stop your feet, you’re either going to get beat or get a holding call. Always keep your feet moving.”

While the offensive line jumpstarted the Golden Lions’ championship finish, Ware said the kicking game also was a big factor in team’s success. He didn’t remember a bad snap all season, something he attributed to the extra time his snapper, holder and kicker put in after practice.

“The kicking game is often overlooked, but it’s a third of what you have to do to win,” Ware said. “We really try to emphasize it.”

Don’t discount the Lions’ defense, either. Shelby outscored playoff opponents 162-51 en route to capturing the program’s 11th state championship.

Steve Devlin
Archbishop Wood High School (PA)

It would have been real easy for the Archbishop Wood Vikings to become complacent heading into the 2014 campaign. The senior class, after all, had played in three straight state championship games, winning it all in 2011 and 2013.

A solid core group off those title teams returned for the 2014 season. Coach Steve Devlin, however, promised them nothing. He opened up competition at every position in preseason camp, fostering one-on-one battles in individual drills with the winners getting to work with the first unit during team sessions.

Even the players who were worked with the first team weren’t safe, though. Fail to do your job in team drills, and you would be replaced. 

“We made every practice a competition,” said Devlin, who has led the Vikings to three state championships in his eight seasons. “We really tried to make it competitive. The kids had to earn their jobs. We built depth that way. And if a kid got injured, the next kid was ready to step in. It worked. It was a good environment for practice.”

The season kicked off against nationally-ranked DeMatha High School in Maryland. While Archbishop Wood had a bevy of returning starters, there were still holes to be filled on the offensive line and other spots. The Vikings felt good after an impressive confidence-building 34-13 rout of DeMatha. But the game that propelled them to their third state championship in four years came a month later.

In week 6, the Vikings led La Salle College Prep 31-14 in the fourth quarter at home. They looked headed to another comfortable victory, something Devlin and his staff had become accustomed to with this group. But things went awry late. They squandered the 17-point lead and ended up suffering a 35-31 humbling loss.

It was the type of loss that could have easily derailed a promising season. Devlin would have none of it and instead used the defeat as motivation for his staff and players.

“It was a learning lesson for us, a learning less for the team, coaches and players,” Devlin said. “We kind of used it as a motivational thing going forward. We knew what it felt like and didn’t want to feel that again.”

From that point on, practices intensified.

“Our practices got very tough after that,” Devlin said. “Practices were sometimes tougher than the games. We had great leadership that helped everyone buy into those practices.”

The Vikings won their next nine games, capping their championship run with a 33-14 win over Central Valley in the state finals. The preseason competition paid dividends during the playoff run, when key starters got banged up. It was a perfect ending to an amazing run by a prolific senior class, Devlin said.

“Winning the previous year, the target was on our back all season,” he said. “But that brought out the best in our team in the way we practiced and prepared. To be able to watch them walk off the field together for the last time as a team, holding a state championship trophy, was priceless for me as a coach.”

Steve Harshman
Natrona County High School (WY)

The finality of a high school football playing career can be lost by coaches, who, hopefully, always have the next season. But for the vast majority of outgoing seniors, the final game of their high school career will be the last time they throw on the pads and helmet.

Natrona County High School veteran coach Steve Harshman has made it a priority to make sure that final year is a memorable one for his seniors. And he certainly did that in 2014.

Harshman made the most of a senior-laden roster last season, leading the Mustangs to an undefeated season and a Wyoming state championship. The Mustangs had plenty of fun along the way. There was a team ice bucket challenge, a fireworks display on the field, and a flag-raising ceremony to honor a giant senior class and their parents.

“As coaches, I don’t think we see that finality to it, because, lord willing, we have the next year,” said Harshman, who has spent the last 25 years coaching the Mustangs. “If you’re a senior high school football player, there is no next year. For parents, too, they put a lot  into this.”

The 2014 Mustangs had 21 senior starters and a bevy of upperclassmen backups. A junior center was the only non-senior starter. They were experienced and potent. Their balanced pro-style offense racked up yards and points. Two seniors split time at quarterback, alternating quarters, while also playing on defense.

“We actually had three senior quarterbacks” Harshman said. “We narrowed it down to two, and they were excellent. They both started on defense too, so we alternated them by quarter at quarterback.”

Natrona ran primarily out of the shotgun and used multiple tempos. The Mustangs averaged 37.9 points per game. The defense based out of a 4-2-5, with multiple coverage schemes, including cover 3 and man-zone combinations. Harshman took advantage of a speedy, talented linebacker corps with a blitz heavy scheme that helped produce five shutouts and held opponents to just 5.1 points per game.

The Mustangs excelled on both sides of the ball and in all conditions. In the state semifinals, they beat Sheridan 27-0 in 70-degree weather. A week later they topped Campbell County 30-7 in below-freezing temperatures for the state championship. They were prepared with sideline heaters, head and feet warmers and hand pouches for quarterbacks, running backs and receivers. “As long as you keep everything covered up and nothing is exposed, you’re fine,” Harshman said.

Looking back on the dominating season, Harshman again focuses on the seniors. “They were a great group that have been working together since grade school,” he said. “They worked hard, pulled together and were lights out all season. No drama, no let-downs, just pure fun and focus. They are champs in all aspects: excellent students, volunteers in the community and kids who remained true blue to the idea of a dedicated student-athlete.”






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