Lancers football expects more of the same

Aug. 27, 2012

By Chris Maza

chrism@thereminder.com

LONGMEADOW — Coach Alex Rotsko will no longer be patrolling the sidelines at Longmeadow High School football games, but that figures to be just about the only change fans will see in this year's Lancer team.

Nick St. George, formerly an assistant of Rotsko's has taken hold of the reins, maintaining essentially the exact same program that Rotsko built over 19 seasons, including its extremely effective Wing T offense.

"Having Coach St. George step up, it's almost as if Coach Rotsko never left," Capt. Austin Sierra told Reminder Publications.

Fellow Capt. Mike Sell agreed, "I don't think we've skipped a beat yet."

With no need to learn a new system, the Lancers have been able to transition smoothly into preparations for the season opener against Chicopee Comprehensive High School on Sept. 7.

"I think that's extremely important," Capt. Frankie Elder said. "We're not really switching anything besides a couple name changes here and there, which we've done every single year anyway. I think all of the returning starters already knew every assignment and coach knew where everyone was going to fit in."

Possibly more important than St. George and his staff's familiarity with the Lancers' plays and schemes is his familiarity with the players themselves.

"When we switched from last year to this year, our entire coaching staff stayed the same," St. George said. "Everybody is working with somebody who they're familiar with and that's a huge asset."

Captain Robert McClure echoed those sentiments, adding that the close-knit team has been able to keep a family-like element that has helped make them so successful.

"The familiarity helps because we're a family," he said. "I truly believe this is one of the closest teams I've ever been a part of."

The Lancers enjoyed a Super Bowl championship win over Central High School to cap off the season last year, but the road to get to Gillette Stadium was certainly a rocky one as the team was devastated by injuries at all positions, including quarterback, a position at which four different players took snaps

But that adversity is something that could make this year's squad even stronger.

"I don't think it can really get any more difficult than last year," Elder said. "It wasn't only at the quarterback. I think three of us [Elder, Sierra, McClure] were all injured at some point. But we had to fight through it. Guys are going to fall down during a season, but now we know what it takes to get back up and where people have to fall into place when that happens."

With those injuries came opportunities for younger players to step up and gain valuable experience with the injured starters there to help them continue to grow and learn, Sierra added.

Now, with a team brimming with game experience and 35 seniors on the roster, Sell said players are pushing each other to compete at a higher level all over the field. That fact, he said, made him feel the Lancers were primed for a strong run at another Western Massachusetts Super Bowl championship.

"I've been talking to guys and they've said that every position is competitive," he said. "Everyone's fighting and everyone is making each other better because everyone wants to be out there on Friday nights winning for 'Meadow."

"I don't think I've seen team with this much experience," Elder agreed. "We lost [quarterback] Jake Lazerus and [running back] T.J. [Norris] and two other seniors, but besides that, I think we've got at least 20 kids who have played in multiple games last year on Friday nights."

While the team may be promising, McClure said it needs to turn promise into results and for him, last year's 11-2 record is motivation enough for him.

"There's nothing worse than losing. We lost two games last year. I don't know about anyone else here, but I can't stand losing," he said.

The Lancers' passion, experience and skill are all key components to what could be a successful season, but Sierra said one more thing might help motivate the team.

"I think after going to Gillette [Stadium] and playing up there last year, it gave a lot more people motivation to work harder over the summer," he said.

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