[tps_title]Lansdale Catholic Crusaders [/tps_title]
Gene Walsh Digital First Media
Lansdale Catholics Matt Casee August 8, 2017.
Crusaders to lean on seniors to lead the way
LANSDALE >> Plenty of things change year by year at Lansdale Catholic, but one thing that stays the same is the role the Crusaders’ seniors play in the football season.
Every year, the Crusaders count on their seniors to contribute on the field and often on both sides of the ball but also to be leaders and role models for the underclassmen. LC is never going to have a massive roster that goes two or three deep at every position, so plenty of underclassmen have the chance to play. 
Things change, but LC will always go as its seniors go.
“So much depends on your seniors and as much as you also rely on underclassmen and want them to perform, it’s so much on the leadership of your seniors,” LC coach Tom Kirk said. “Our philosophy is not to win every game, but to be in position to win every game. Sometimes things are going to go your way, sometimes they’re not, but let’s just be in it.”
LC has nine seniors this season as it looks to contend in the PCL Blue division after a 3-6 (3-3 PCL) campaign in 2016. Once practice begins, the Crusaders don’t look at class standing in terms of who is playing where or number of snaps.
Still, when it comes to leading on and off the field, that role continues to rest on the shoulders of the seniors.
“We’re just looking for the underclassmen to pick things up and work hard,” senior running back Matt Casee said. “For the upperclassmen, we have to show our leadership.”
With a smaller roster, most of LC’s seniors are usually entering a second or third year in a starting role, so they know what to say to younger teammates.
“It hits you that you need to be a leader more than ever,” senior running back/linebacker Jake Doheny said. “We have to show the underclassmen the model of what they have to take after.”
LC has 41 players on the roster this year, a bit fewer than the past few seasons but Kirk feels like there’s enough talent to achieve the team goal of being in every game. Casee and Doheny said it’s a good group and if the players stepping into starting roles or new positions can pick things up quickly, they’ll be able to put together a good season.
Kirk has to put some of the leadership on his seniors out of need, but he’s also comfortable doing it every year.
“The kids that come through this school are kids of high character and integrity and it doesn’t just come from anywhere, it comes from their parents,” Kirk said. “They’re raised to be responsible and accountable and when you get that, you have kids who come out and listen. When you look in their eyes, you don’t see the back of their heads, you see them wanting to listen.”
RUN HEAVY
On offense, the one area where LC is strongest is in the backfield. Casee was the team’s feature back last year, a tough runner who doesn’t quit and often ends up with an extra yard or two because of it. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Casee led LC with 665 rushing yards and 12 receptions for 88 yards in 2016.
Kirk said Casee has put in a lot of work for his senior season, but he also wants to ease workload on the senior, who is a leading tackler at linebacker on defense. Doheny, Jason Carr and PJ O’Connor saw a handful of carries last season, but their touches should all go up.
The Crusaders will be breaking in some new starters on the offensive line, but with experienced runners in the backfield, Kirk doesn’t need them to redefine blocking to get the job done.
“What we say to our offensive line is ‘we don’t need holes, we need creases,’” Kirk said. “When a lineman knows I don’t have to move people, I just have to get in the way sometimes, we still want them to drive and create holes but our backs are talented enough that a lot’s going to rely on them.”
FRESH AIR
LC’s passing game will feature several new faces this season with two-year starting QB Mike Basilli and deep threat Bob Bausmann’s graduations. Senior Mike Dutkiewicz is in line to take over as quarterback after taking limited snaps as the backup last year.
On the perimeter, LC will look to senior PJ O’Connor at tight end and a handful of underclassmen receivers including Nick Piccozi and Danny Dutkiewicz. LC is also a team that heavily involves its running backs in the passing game with screens, drop-offs and short throws.
FROM THE START
Last season, the Crusaders were a very good team in the second half of games. They were also prone to poor first half performances, which made for frantic comebacks that didn’t always get all the way there in a 3-6 season.
Kirk and his players know that’s not something they can do again this year.
“Our hope is when we start a game, we’re starting it off loud,” Casee said. “We want to start off tough and energized so that we’re not down in the second half and trying to get ourselves back up.”
By Andrew Robinson; arobinson@21st-centurymedia.com
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