And then there was one. Bishop Luers is the last playoff team remaining from the SAC. Ahead of their matchup with Pioneer this Friday for a spot in the 2A state championship game, we’ll take a look at how Luers was able to set aside their 3-6 conference record and go further than any Fort Wayne team this season.
1. They’re More Battle-Tested Than the Other 2A Teams
Admittedly, this was probably the biggest factor in Luers’ success this postseason. Luers has faced 6 teams in 5A or above this season. The other three teams left in 2A have only played 3 such teams collectively. In a way, the Knights have almost been over prepared for their tournament and it has shown. The tough competition that they faced has allowed them to score in high volumes and play really well on defense, with more on both of those later.
2. Carson Clark’s Emergence at QB
Clark could make a case for the most underrated quarterback, or possibly player, in the SAC. Last year, he saw some time at quarterback, but has really come on in his junior season. Even when Luers was struggling in the regular season, Clark was one of their bright spots, especially as the year went on. He completed at least 50% of his passes in all but one game and, after getting off to a rocky start with turnovers, has only thrown 1 interception in his last 6 games. He’s also thrown for at least 200 yards in eight games this season. He’s been an incredible asset for his team and only seems to be getting better with each week. But Coach Kyle Lindsay also sees his value as a leader.
“Carson has been great with his play on the field. I think he’s been even better as a leader and as the general of the offense. His understanding of the game, where to go with the ball, audibles to check to at the line of scrimmage, and his delivery of the football are just products of the hard work he put in this offseason and every day at practice this fall. No matter his performance, he looks for ways to elevate his play. This dedication to excellence can be contagious, and I really believe it has made all of his teammates better.”
3. Younger Players Have Stepped Up
This Knights team is one of the youngest in the SAC this year. They don’t have very many seniors on the roster and have relied heavily on their juniors and sophomores to get the job done. However, many of these younger players have played really well. Sophomore linebacker Da’Von Doughty is a great example as he leads the team in tackles for a loss with 18.5 and has the second most tackles of any defender on the team with 87. But even some of the juniors had limited experience going into the season. We already talked about how Carson Clark was a starter for only a portion of last season, but his leading receiver Brody Glenn saw even less action last year with 12 receptions through his entire sophomore season. Now, he has 56 receptions for 1,041 yards and 14 touchdowns and has played a vital role in this season. Aside from their offensive and defensive lines, the Knights were forced to play lots of young guys, but most, like Doughty and Glenn, turned out to have great seasons and have been crucial to their success in the playoffs.
4. The Defense Has Finally Found an Answer
Luers had one of the worst statistical defenses in the conference by allowing 30 or more points in 8 of their 9 games in conference play. However, that’s only been the case once in the postseason. Instead of trying to outscore their opponent, the Knights defense has been able take some pressure off of their offense by getting stops and holding teams to under 20 points. With how productive this offense has been, that 20 point threshold is more than enough for Luers to come out with a victory. Still, it’s been a challenge according to Coach Lindsay.
“As coaches, we knew it would be a work in progress as half of our defensive players are sophomores and most of the others are first-year juniors at the varsity level. Playing against the level of talent we see on a weekly basis is a huge challenge, no matter your experience on the defensive side of the ball. It’s even more challenging when you lack depth up front, which is something out of our control.
The challenge for the kids has been to keep a mindset of continuing to improve, to see the positives, and to grow from the negatives of each performance this season, not to simply look at the points on the board. Our team pursuit has improved drastically. We’ve done a good job of keeping the ball in front of us on the back end. Our team tackling has improved. While giving up 49 points and 400+ rush yards just a couple weeks ago to a good Eastside team was embarrassing, we had the right mentality to learn from our miscues and to play with confidence against Tipton. We didn’t dwell. We got better. (As the late Coach Mike Egts used to say ‘Don’t get bitter. Get better.’)”
5. They’ve Played Their Style of Football and Dominated
One word: offense. If you’re a fan of pinball, Big 12 style football, then this is the team for you. The Knights have scored 40 points or more in 6 of their 13 games this year, including 3 of their 4 playoff games. And even in their win over Tipton last week, Luers scored 36 points, still a very high number. In the regular season, their three wins all came from shootouts in which they went over 40 points. With the struggles and inconsistencies that this defense has faced this season, Luers solution has been offense and lots of it. In this postseason, they’ve lit up the scoreboard even more which has allowed them to advance week after week by overwhelming teams. As long as this continues, Luers will almost certainly find a way to win their next two games, as all 6 of those 40+ point games turned into wins for the Knights.
