 |
|
Senior, Boomer Schmidt returns to lead the Buccaneer ground game in 2002.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| the team | seniors | letterman | captains | coaches |
Here we go again. Anticipation is high for another season of Buccaneer football and for good reason. The Buccs are riding a wave of success and with the talent coming back, there is no reason to believe the results won't be the same this year.
But, do the Buccs expect things to be the same? Sure, they expect to again win the CCC and go unbeaten in the regular season for the third straight year. Sure, they expect to qualify for the playoffs for a fourth straight year, a first for any senior class. But, they expect to do more than any team in the history of our great football program. They do have unfinished business so to speak. They want to maximise their potential and that means doing something no other Buccaneer team has done…win a state title on the field.
Many coaches eliminate all talk about a state championship this early but it's a dream of the 38 players and four coaches to accomplish. Everyone knows it's a long season and anything can happen but you have to have a dream before you can accomplish it. It's the Buccs' dream to win a state title and regardless of whether or not they accomplish that goal is irrelivent, because they have already put in the work it takes to get there which is all any coach, parent or fan could ask.
It all starts with the seven seniors. They have set a standard for the rest of their teammates. They have attended summer camps, conditioning programs and pumped the iron in the weightroom. When you look at a Jon Sampson, a Dusty Hess and a Boomer Schmidt, you see the added muscle. When you look at a Jordan Shafer, you see the added speed and crispness with the way he runs his routes. When you look into their eyes as they go through two-a-days, you know what's on their minds. These kids are on a mission and they won't accept anything less than their best.
For the Buccs to reach their goal, everyone knows they have to take it one game at a time. Every team they play is Marion Local in a sense. They have to approach it that way. Anybody can be beat on any given night and the seniors, in particular, know that. They have been through the wars like two years ago against Marion Local, like last season against Bethel, Ansonia, Anna and Southeastern. They have seen the ups and downs so they know what it takes to get there. If they forget, they have a great coaching staff to remind them.
The more things change, the more they stay the same:
Kids are lost to graduation every year and it makes you wonder what it would be like to have those players one more year. Last season the Buccs had a quarterback (Dusty Blythe) that wasn't flashy or won games with his arm, he just won. They had a gamebreaking running back in Josh Burelison that made you hold your breath every time he touched the ball. They had a terror in the secondary in Mike Molesky that would lay the wood on anybody in the opposite color. Losing kids like that make it difficult for a Division VI program but other players seem to emerge each year.
This year Dusty Blythe gives way to Brady Reck who has the potential to be a really good quarterback. Josh Burelison gives way to Jesse Hitt who may not be as quick but is much stronger and pretty fast in his own right. Mike Molesky gives way to Ross Mohler who may not lay people out but has the range to be an excellent corner.
Yes, things change from one year to the next but that opens up opportunities for other players to make a memory. As players move in and out of the program, one thing remains a constant, the Buccs' coaching staff.
We are fortunate as Covington fans to have the stability we've had the past few years. Our four coaches are home grown and understand the Covington tradition because they've lived it.
Coach Peacock played for the Buccs in the mid-sixties and is a 1967 graduate of Covington High. Doug Swartz was a member of the 1973 State Championship team and a 1975 graduate. Dave Tobias was a member of the 1979 State Runner-ups and a 1980 graduate. Kevin Finfrock was a member of the 1980 State Playoff team and a 1981 graduate.
They've all been a part of the success of Covington football so they can relate to the kids in a way that most coaches can't. They bridge the gap of nearly 40 years of Covington football.
What will we see from the Buccs?
Buccs football is known for a powerful running game and solid defense. Although talent shifts from one your to the next, coaches tend to not stray too far from tradition, escpecially when it works. Defense is the pride and joy of Coach Peacock so you can bet the Buccs will be very aggressive like they have been since Peacock took over. Like the coach says, "Every yard is like taking my blood". Translation, defense will be the key for the Buccs as long a Peacock is the coach.
On offense, as mentioned before, the running game will win games. Sure, the Buccs have the talent to stretch the field and keep teams off balance but you can probably expect to see a heavy dose of Boomer Schmidt running behind that experienced offensive line. The coaching staff is pretty "hush, hush" about what they plan to do, however, so who knows? One things for sure, it's going to be another great ride for Bucc fans.
