[bulldog42]

The last group I'm going to cover is the fans. I've laid it on the line and thrown myself out there because I LOVE our KIDS, our PROGRAM, and our COMMUNITY! With that being said it wasn't even 4 games into the season that some drunk caught me coming off the field ready to fight because I hadn't played so and so. I asked him if he knew when so and so got hurt and he said "I didn't know he was hurt". Being a fan means you can be an armchair QB. I do it when I watch UK etc. The bottom line is unless you have watched film, been in workouts, been at practice, know who is hurt, know who knows what's going on etc then you don't have a clue why things are being done the way they are done. This is were a lot of LC fans are going to have to grow up. The officials had to stop a game at home this year because our fans were cussing one of our players so bad! INEXCUSABLE!!!! It's real simple..... you are with us or you aren't!!!!! Don't say you are with us then go post on a message board should the coach be gone the night before we play the #2 team in the state (that happened this year). I will never forget playing at Russell and winning in double overtime. Our fans came out in the mud tackling us because they were so excited. I'll never forget Dwayne stuck on the goal post as it was being broken down after the Breathitt game. I'll never forget eating Thanksgiving dinner, going through walk through then getting on the bus to go to Mayfield. There were cars parked on both sides of the road with fans video taping and little kids on their shoulders for miles all the way to the Power Plant. I'll never forget shaving coaches head on the stage after winning the potato festival game and singing "Don't give me no lines and keep your hands to yourselves" to our crowd that came down to watch. We have some amazing fans but I encourage you that if some are out of line to let them know. Those great times all came while we were winning but your true character comes out when you are losing. You find out what you are made of and who you are. The great thing is that when you stick together (which is what we have to do and my whole point) and you come out that other side then it makes getting back on top that much more special!
A few things on the new coaching job. 1: There are supposed to be job cuts (we all know what kind of shape our schools have been in) so that is going to be really tough on this coach. It's going to be hard to bring much more of a staff in and supposedly they are cutting paid assistants jobs down some.
2. Whatever system the new coach runs needs to be embraced by the fans. The belly is an awesome series but not the only series. We ran it the 3 years before I got here and averaged about 3 wins a season. It isn't the cure all. If this coach runs it then GREAT! Support it! If it's the spread then GREAT there are multiple teams in the state championship again this year that runs the spread. If it's the 3 back power then great! We've been to the final four before running the 3 back power. My philosophy was that we never made it to state with a bunch of D1 kids running the belly alone without a kicking game so I wanted to be more versatile especially since we are playing a lot better competition now. Some don't agree and that's totally fine but support whatever system is run. You have to realize it takes some time to develop a new system (last year we didn't even have an off season, had 1 int all year and didn't kick a single FG). We also never sold out to what we were doing which can't happen. It's been posted on here that we ran the belly in the 80's but that's not true. Chuke brought it in 92 my SR year. It's also said that our youth run it but that is false. Almost all youth programs are some sort of power (Russell WingT etc). Nobody in the youth league runs the belly read. Our 8th grade last year ran the spread and only lost 1 game. If I'm around at all I really hope to sit down and work with the youth league guys (we have some good one's) on developing a plan to work on fundamentals across the board every practice so we have a checks and balances. I also have witnessed my nephew go through 3 different systems in 3 years in the youth league including the shotgun in the 3rd grade. It runs kids off so I hope we can get a flexible system in place for the kids so at least the verbiage is the same every year instead of learning something new every year.
3. Fans are going to have to realize that whoever gets the job has a top 5-10 toughest schedule in the state facing him. The key will be too improve every week and hit our stride going into the playoffs IMO.
4. This years JR class only had around 6 or so kids in it. Some aren't making grades, some are getting put into alternative school etc. I am challenging those guys right now to take pride in yourself and what it stands for to wear LC on your shirt. Be leaders and role models instead of choosing the wrong path. You have the choice sitting right in front of you to take over and be leaders this off season. I don't care what your past is the choice is right there! Accept the challenge! Along with that I think there has to be a push to get as many kids involved in the program as possible.
I've said a lot I wanted and probably some I shouldn't have said but in the end there is nobody that cares anymore about our program than I do. I was kind of surprised what I moved away from and back home into. We have got to stop this division in our schools, our sports programs etc and get this place back to being one of the most special places I've ever been. I honestly think the only way we can do it is by sticking together! I've watched my little sister get robbed of the high school experience I had and I don't want to see our kids here now do the same. The thing that kills me is all the different people that talk negative about our program but don't lift a finger for it. If all those folks with so much passion would join the QB club, help with the youth league etc then we would be a lot closer to having solutions instead of more problems. I said it before that your character comes out when times are tough but if you can battle through those times it makes the destination even more special. That's what makes football so great! It is so much like real life! The best wins I've ever had at LC were when the other team had the ball and just had to kneel on it. Instead we throw the kid out of bounds, block the punt an hit a 50 yd hook and lateral with 2 seconds left on the clock. Breaking a 42 game win streak. Winning in 2bl OT as 40 underdogs to a team that waxed us at home even though we didn't have our starting QB when we won. Every single one of those moments we had to battle through adversity, we had to stick together and lean on each other. We had to communicate, have a vision, believe in ourselves our coaches and our fans! This time is no different! We've got to stick together, have a vision, believe in ourselves, our kids, our coaches, our fans and our whole community!
Good luck to whoever the new coach is! You will have my support 100% in some form or fashion! It might be beside you, in the youth league, QB club or whatever but you will have my support! We've got some outstanding kids and I hope they stick together and believe!
Stick