Tucked behind Crest High School, the Lancers seem more like Legionnaires as they gather in three lines for a drill embodying everything CHS football.
Every lineman snaps, every backfield skill player throws, every receiver learns every route in every formation. Drills that give the Lancers a level of depth unheard of in eight-man football.
“Every lineman can snap and I am going to make sure we have at least four guys who can play quarterback on a Friday night if not more,” Coach Nick McAnulty said. “If you can’t handle those two spots, then you don’t have anywhere you can go. If you can’t snap the ball, then the play is dead before it starts.”
Although the Lancers are far from the miles-long columns featured in a Roman legion, Crest’s combined lines of middle school and high school players extend long enough that players are rested for the next rotation. Once they have the play down, McAnulty adds an obstacle.
For instance, why not have players run the same drill up an inclined hill. To add to the pressure, every dropped pass, every bad snap and every jump offside resulted in an additional 50-yard sprint. Crest made seven mistakes Monday.
“I’m really proud of them, even though our numbers are down a little bit,” McAnulty said. “Their attitude and everything has been great. I was excited. I couldn’t sleep.”
That excitement is contagious.
“Everyone that showed up to weights this summer, you can tell the difference between the ones who showed up and the ones who didn’t,” senior lineman Jensen Barker said. “It’s obviously helped the guys that were there a lot. As long as we use our size to our advantage we should be good.”
Capturing a Three Rivers of the question for Crest. The Lancers finished the 2024 season 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the TRL for third place behind champion Marmaton Valley and runner-up Oswego. Oswego looks to be the new power in the TRL while Marmaton Valley reloads from graduating a significant portion of its roster.
“The goal is always to win the TRL and that’s something we haven’t done in a few years,” McAnulty said. “Marmaton Valley is always tough and so is Oswego. They are both well coached. If we can battle with those guys and come prepared, anything can happen in the Three Rivers League. Until someone knocks them off, then they’re still the top dog.”
Crest quarterback Lane Yocham said, “We’re running our plays right and learning our roles to make the running back’s jobs easier. We have to run our offense and do our jobs. It makes my job a whole lot easier when I have guys who can run routes fast and catch the ball.”
The Lancers return a majority of their lineup from last year. A strong turnout to the summer strength and conditioning program means its players are bigger and faster.
But Crest has one more advantage up its sleeve. Similar to a Roman legion, a graduation or an injury is not a setback. Slaying a legionnaire or a Lancer only means battling the nine additional men waiting behind him for their turn.
“Our unit is better, and more motivated,” McAnulty said. “They’re more motivated to prove who they are.”
Crest’s focus on constancy and mistake-free football may be their cheat code to dominance. They will find out more when they take the field Friday for the Lebo Jamboree at 6 p.m. at Lebo High School.
