Football camp report: Skaneateles Lakers Skaneateles junior linebacker Aubrey Leverich sets the tone for the team with his relentless effort. (Donnie Webb | dwebb@syracuse) By Donnie Webb | dwebb@syracuse on August 29, 2014 12:17 a.m. Skaneateles Lakers 2013 record: 5-3. Head coach: Mike Olley, second season Practice overview Because Thursdays single practice was moved to 7 p.m., Skaneateles head coach Mike Olley expected some trouble. There were one or two tardy stragglers and he wondered about his teams mental sharpness. But as practice stretched into night and the most perfect breath of cool air bathed the field, magic happened. The Lakers closed out the practice with their best work of the preseason in their two-minute offense. Olley was thrilled. There was execution and effort. There were players, particularly in the offensive line, that answered questions about their abilities. Three straight times, quarterback Devin Callahan directed scoring drives. The teams three big receivers - Connor Hill, Tommy Hagen and Griffin Lawson - all sparkled. And while the offense worked against a thud defense, they had to convert fourth down plays against pressure. They did. As long as Skaneateles can throw and catch like that, the Lakers are going to have some fun this season in their move back to Class B. That was one of our better practices, Olley said. We were pretty good. The guardian cap is pelled back so Mike Olley can pump air into the helmet of Noah Cliff. (Donnie Webb | dwebb@syracuse) Guardian caps Theyre those weird looking blocks of black padding that look like sponges and fit over the top of football helmets. Their aim is to reduce concussions. Syracuse University football players wear them in practice. So do the Skaneateles Lakers. The Skaneateles Football Boosters purchased 135 guardian caps for players ranging from third grade to varsity. The club spent $6,100 on the caps, which weigh about 7 ounces each and claim to reduce helmet-to-helmet concussions by 33 percent. Overheard - Never walk behind a snapper. Words of wisdom from head coach Mike Olley to one of his players walking in dangers way. - Youve got to take your helmet off first. Olley watching Leverich try and pull on a yellow pinnie for scout team work. - How many Lakers does it take? Olley watching teammates try and assist Leverich getting the yellow jersey pulled over his pads. That was record time, coach. A player responded to Olley about the Leverich wardrobe change. Stat crasher Olley said the Lakers did a poor job on short-yardage plays. It drove me nuts, Olley said. We couldnt seem to get a push, when we needed 1 yard, when second-and-1 or third-and-1, we couldnt get that one yard. That absolutely ate me up over the winter. Our goal was to get our linemen more aggressive up front, get them stronger. I like where we are right now. I really do. Dan McLean (84) is the noseguard for the Skaneateles defense despite standing only 5-foot-5. (Donnie Webb | dwebb@syracuse) Dan the man Plugged into the middle of the Skaneateles defense at nose guard is junior Dan McLean. He is 5-foot-6 and weighs 165 pounds. No one is more surprised at his positioning than McLean. I guess they like me there, he says. Olley said McLean is deceptively strong and quick, which makes him a unique force at that point of attack. McLean can squat lift close to 300 pounds. Hes a tough little son of a gun, Olley said. Biggest shoes to fill TB John Parsons; TB Matt Lee; OL Sepp Martin. Newcomers TB/LB Noah Cliff, a junior transfer from Chittenango; OG/LB Pat Greenfield, a sophomore. Rising stars WR/P Griffin Lawson; QB Devin Callahan; LB Aubrey Leverich. Money players WR Connor Hill; OT/DT Zack Schneider. The spotlight is on junior quarterback Devin Callahan, who has skills running, throwing and directing the offense. (Donnie Webb | dwebb@syracuse) Offensive overview Lets just say that the Lakers can be very, very dangerous. They have a dynamic wide receiving corps in Connor Hill, Griffin Lawson and Tommy Hagen. Hill and Lawson are 6-foot-3 and all of them can run. Hill in particular has elite speed. Then theres Callahan, the young quarterback who cut his teeth a year ago and is ready to blossom. Hes grown up a lot, Olley said. He makes the whole thing mix. When hes good, were good. The big thing is getting him comfortable. The Lakers need a running game for balance, though Leverich is a downhill force around the goal line. Zack Schneider anchors the line that showed Thursday night it can get the job done. Defensive overview The Lakers will be playing more zone coverage this season and theyll be disguising and moving their fronts around to confuse offenses. Thats different. Before, wed be in our defense and do our thing, Olley said. Leverich is the primary play-maker at linebacker. Aubrey is our defensive quarterback. Just as important as Devin is to us on offense, Aubrey is equally important on defense. Video by Donnie Webb Vibe Loose, but focused. Theyre a fun group, Olley said. Million Dollar Question Can the Lakers stay healthy and not deplete their thread-bare depth? Camp postcard A spectacular sunset on a spectacular evening at Skaneateles served as a backdrop for work by the Lakers defense at practice.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:36:10 +0000
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