Page 58 - Flathead Beacon // 5.18.16

58
MAY 18, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
BEHIND THE ARC JEFF EPPERLY CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE WON
TIN THE OFFSEASON
burns them out and sours them towards such singularity of purpose. Flathead High Head Football coach Kyle Sampson says, “They must be all in!” Without this, there is no chance. Passion, energy, e ort and genuine care for kids and their indi- vidual contributions to the greater whole are absolutely critical to make it happen.
Glacier High School has a “core” pro- gram that focuses on speed, agility and strength development. Flathead High School has their “fast” program, which is their version of the same program. These programs run primarily in the summer and are available to all athletes in the high school, but let’s be honest, they are driven by the football coaches and their coaching sta s.
Why is all this necessary? Well, foot- ball is a numbers game (normally 22 starters). The formula for success is the more athletes you can put on the eld the greater chance you have of winning. Football requires speed, strength, agil- ity and speci c skills unique to the game. The o -season, therefore, is all about developing young people into athletes, pure and simple.
Yes, it is spring and it is track, tennis and golf season. But it is also the season of building a great football team. I think Mark Gilman’s comments also imply that Glacier is very good at what they do. It re ects the maturity of an established system. Without question, Glacier won its 2014 state title in the grind and grit of the o -season and in the development of their players.
I know Coach Sampson and the Flat- head Braves are well on their way to making it happen, too. And I am root- ing for them as a former Flathead Brave and current coach in the basketball pro- gram. Picture these two AA schools play- ing outstanding competitive football like “small college” programs. Can you imag- ine the rivalry?
HE OTHER DAY I WAS TALKING to Flathead High School Hall of Famer and Nebraska football
alumnus Mark Gilman (1992 and 1996 respectively). Of course, there was much to talk about — I was his freshman foot- ball coach — but he made a comment that was really quite interesting.
He says Glacier High School football is like a small “college” program. He should know, his son Tayden plays for the Wolf- pack. The comment was made in passing and we were discussing how football in high school has changed over the years, but that was his comparison. Wow! It was interesting coming from a guy who played college football at the very highest level winning a couple of national cham- pionships as a starter for one of the great coaches (Tom Osborne) and programs of all time.
What gives? Why the comparison? What was he really saying?
Football success, even at the high school level, is now much like the college level organizationally, including a year- round calendar of events and training programs. It is May and you would think football doesn’t begin until August, but you would be wrong. In fact, it never ends.
This year-round commitment used to be looked down upon in some circles. Yet in other circles it was the “secret sauce” to a winning program and those who bene ted wanted no one else to know about it. Legendary coach Jack John- son of Great Falls CMR (13 state titles and 7 runner-ups over 35-plus years) had a huge advantage over other Class AA teams because of his traditionally e ective o -season work, especially in the weight room. It takes more than just lifting weights, but none-the-less it gave them a distinct advantage and they knew it.
Let’s be honest: Kids must buy-in to this sort of commitment or it simply
Je Epperly is a Kalispell native who grew up playing sports. Now he enjoys watching his kids doing the same.
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