Injuries take heavy toll on Knights

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONVOY — Injuries can quickly change the course of the high school football season, especially at the small school level where numbers are often limited.

That was the case at Crestview this season, as the Knights got off to a 3-0 start, but were hit hard by the injury bug on the way to a 4-6 (1-6 NWC) finish. Even so, the Knights still had a shot at the postseason heading into the regular season finale against Leipsic.

“Unexpected injuries are part of the nature of high school football,” second year head coach James Lautzenheiser said.” You hope that you’ll be dealing with aches and pains, but you have to respond with your team when you’re facing broken bones or diagnoses that require players to be sidelined for multiple weeks. When those injuries come in a series of waves, it can affect your personnel on the field but definitely change the way you prepare for your scheme for that particular week.”

“We saw that firsthand with key injuries at the offensive and defensive line positions, and also some nagging injuries that affected the consistency of the quarterback position during the heart of our schedule,” he continued. “We knew that we were going to be inexperienced (number of varsity snaps) at the offensive and defensive line positions and that we needed to develop chemistry among those players early in the season.

“Unfortunately, that consistency was challenged by Week No. 4, and I don’t think we ever got back to a point where we were deep enough and solid enough in those position groups to become a physically overwhelming presence for other teams to deal with on Friday nights.”

“The positive aspect of ‘next man up’ in small high school football is that you can expose freshmen and sophomores to Friday night early on and that sometimes will light a fire for them in the off-season and promote more competitive preparation among players fighting for spots the following summer and fall.”

Despite battling injuries, Hunter completed 93-of-171 passes for 1,153 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The Knights had eight seniors on the roster – QB/DB Carson Hunter, WR/DB Parker Speith, WR/DB Mason Speith, OL/LB Holden Thornell, OL/LB Wesyn Ludwig, OL/DL Tanner Short, OL/DL Connor Tussing, and OL/DL Donovan Wreath – and Lautzenheiser said that group will be missed.

“Many of them played the entire game in all three phases of the game,” he said. “I can remember some of them quite vividly when they transitioned from eighth graders into the high school program. They have come a long way and have been a part of some fun teams. I hope that they are able to walk away from their football days at Crestview with no regrets about their preparation and execution as players, and I hope that their lives have been enriched because of their experiences as teammates and brothers.”

“They have plenty of games, matches, and meets ahead of them this winter and spring, and I look forward to watching them continue to compete and carry the Knights banner forward for our school and community,” Lautzenheiser added. “Our goal as coaches is to hopefully challenge these young men in a manner that helps them grow and develop as young adult leaders for our school and community.”

Ludwig was named first team All-NWC on offense and honorable mention on defense (92 tackles), while Wreath was named honorable mention on offense. Mason Speith (75 tackles) and Parker Speith (41 tackles) also earned honorable mention accolades.

Other players receiving All-NWC honorable mention were RB/LB Isaac Kline (116-570, seven touchdowns, 17 receptions, 92 yards, 79 tackles); WR/DB Kellin Putman (27-529, eight touchdowns); RB/LB Jaret Harting (29-171, 12-171, one touchdown); TE/DL/LB Beau Eggleston (20-220, 56 tackes, 10 for losses); WR/DB Hunter Jones (41 tackles); TE/WR/DL Wren Sheets (75 tackles, 16 for losses, 5.5 sacks) and Braxton Leeth (48-368 four touchdowns).

Allen East ended Columbus Grove’s three year run of NWC championships, while the Bulldogs finished second in an improved conference. Delphos Jefferson was hot during the second half of the season and finished third, followed by Bluffton.

It won’t be long before coaches are looking ahead to next season.

“Once you clean up locker rooms and put away equipment and uniforms, you have to sit down and meet with coaches and players to discuss strategies and paths for improvement and growth in the off-season,” Lautzenheiser said. “We’ll meet with players and hold exit interviews, and then begin the process of planning for off-season clinics and brainstorming sessions to review schemes, formations, and plays. There’s always some level of turnover amidst the coaching ranks (middle school/high school) and some shuffling in order to set up the next season’s slate of coaches.”

“You find yourself going back to Hudl and re-watching games and thinking about in-game situations and how you did or did not react well to circumstances,” he added. “Filing away the tape from losses is as counterproductive as only watching film from big wins. The off-season allows you an opportunity to reflect and review, and hopefully move forward to get it right the next year for your kids.”