Final Thoughts
With Coach Smith

First off, thanks for taking the time to do this every week. I, as well as the AHS fans, appreciate it greatly.

It was my pleasure.

We had the Knights on the ropes, but just couldn't get them knocked out. Please tell us about the game.

 We felt we needed to play the "perfect" game to pull off a victory, since they are so explosive offensively. We also felt it would take a 4 touchdown game to win. We didn't want them to get any offensive momentum, because that is when they are the most dangerous. Unfortunately, we lost control of the game in the middle of the 3rd quarter, and we weren't able to slow them down.

I thought the game changed after the "hitting" below the knee call on Fisher on the kickoff after we had taken the lead. That was an unusual call to say the least.

 The rule is correct. You are not allowed to hit below the waist anywhere in the open field. My concern was the spot of the foul. There was no way Tyler could have hit anyone where the umpire spotted that foul, since Tyler is usually one of the first guys down on coverage. They marked off 15 yards from the spot, which actually made the penalty about 25 yards!

Please define the DB/receiver bump rule as it applies to high school football.

THERE IS NO BUMP RULE IN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL! A defensive player can make contact with a receiver ANYWHERE on the field provided...a) the ball is not in the air, and b) he doesn't hold the receiver. We were informed at halftime that the officials were changing their interpretation of the rule! We were rushing 3 men, playing 4-under, 2-deep zone, with either Jacob Wolfe or Tyler Fisher playing man-to-man on Eberle, and Zach Gilmore playing man-to-man on Svenstrup. This interpretation took us out of that coverage. This is two weeks in a row where officials have misinterpreted a rule that has had a negative effect on our team. You don't expect that in the playoffs.

After playing both teams, who do you like Friday night, The Patriots or CC?

I will go with the Patriots. Their team speed is even better than CC's, and I think they will be able to control the ball while on offense. It will be a good game to watch, as the two teams are so different in their approach to offense.

I was amazed at how much we improved this season from August to October. To what do you attribute this gain?

I think much of the credit goes to the development of a solid work ethic by the players and coaches. We caught thousands of passes, snapped thousands of snaps, got thousands of reps on defense, and learned to work hard every week. We also continued to play the 3-5 on defense, and the gun on offense. I also think playing teams like Seeger, Fountain Central, Rockville, Central Catholic and Westville (who are still alive in their respective state tournaments) made us better.

Zach Gilmore had a fantastic senior season with ,I think, 54 catches. Who do you see filling his shoes next year?

 I don't know if any one player can fill Zach's shoes. Dusty Wickens, Josh Seward, Gavin Gilmore, Mike Willsey and Brandon Clawson are returning players who will compete for wide receiver positions.

Do you see John Tapscott & Josh Steele getting any time in the varsity back field next year?

 It's difficult for any incoming freshman to get varsity playing time in a good program. With Jacob Wolfe returning at QB, we will continue to use the gun as our varsity offense. We are considering using the wing-t on the JV level to accommodate players like Eli Trueblood, Keaton Best, Josh Steele, John Tapscott, Vince Reece, and Noah Currie. We will discuss this in the off-season, and see if we can get the logistics figured out.

My favorite play this year was the halfback option pass from Wolfe to Gilmore on the first snap vs. Turkey Run. What was you favorite play this season?

Mine was Allen Dill's PAT kick in overtime vs. Tri-County.

Looking back on the season, what accomplishment are you most proud of from this team?

 I don't know if I can point to one thing. I am proud that our kids feel like winners, and that they have raised the bar on future expectations.

The cupboard seems pretty well stocked for next year. What are some of the things that need to be done to get us over the hump?

We need to get as many athletes as possible playing football. There are some kids who used to be pretty solid players who have turned away from sports. Hopefully, some of them will get refocused on a more positive lifestyle. The players need to commit to quality weight room time, a good summer of 7-on-7, and to maintain the positive attitude that we have right now. We are certainly excited about next season.

Are we scrimmaging Lake Station next year?

No. Heritage Christian comes here to complete the 2-year contract. In fact, we have the scrimmage + 6 home games next year!

Are you going to the Seeger /CC game this Friday?

Yes. Our staff is jumping in my van and heading to Lafayette. Ben Porter is heading up to Highland to watch his brother play in Sectional 9 vs. Lowell.

What are you final thoughts to wrap up the season?

 I think a coach can always judge whether a season was successful or not by how he feels when it is all over. I wasn't ready for the season to end. I don't think there is a coach in Indiana who is prouder of his players and staff than I. We have established a winning attitude, and have also worked hard at playing with class.

Jr. Varsity Broncos
fall to Trojans

The Jr. Varsity Broncos opened their season at Covington tonight.  The Broncos are in their first season of play with kids from 1st grade through 6th grade making up the 3 different teams.  The Freshmen team consists of 1st and 2nd graders, the Jr. Varsity is made up of 3rd and 4th graders and the Varsity is kids in the 5th and 6th grades.  Each team now has one game completed with the remaining schedule below.  The Freshmen team defeated the Covington Colts on Monday 24-13 while the Varsity team lost in the second game of the evening.  The Jr. Varsity played Thursday night and were handed a 12-6 defeat.  The games this Saturday will be at Lewis Bruce field with the Freshmen team scheduled to kick-off at 1:00PM.

2004 Schedule
September 4 @ Attica vs. N. Vermillion
September 11 @ Attica vs. Seeger
September 18 @ Attica vs. Covington
September 25 @ N. Vermillion
October 2 @ Seeger