2011-2012 Official Wolves football thread |
2011-2012 Official Wolves football thread |
Jun 27 2011, 07:58 AM
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Spends WAY too much time at CBTL Group: Admin Posts: 16,460 Joined: 8-December 06 From: Michigan City, IN Member No.: 2 |
http://posttrib.suntimes.com/sports/613986...ick-around.html
QUOTE Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. New football coach at Michigan City. Really excited about the gig. Sees unlimited potential in the “sleeping giant.” Plans to stick around and really build something at Ames Field. Sound familiar? Craig Buzea said all that in 2007 when he stunned Portage by leaving for the downtrodden Wolves. After three years and some significant progress, he left for Homewood-Flossmoor, and the program once again was in tatters. Eric Schreiber said all that last summer when he took over for Buzea. One season and one win later, he left to take the top job at Hammond High. Enter Michael Karpinski, Michigan City’s new head coach, who was approved last week by the school board. He’s really excited about the gig. He sees unlimited potential in the “sleeping giant.” He plans to stick around and really build something at Ames Field. And he means it. Honest. “I’m excited to add some stability,” he said. “I’m not planning on going anywhere. By no means am I looking at this as a stepping stone. I’m looking to build something here. I understand people have heard that before, but you don’t understand — my wife will kill me if we move again.” Indeed, Karpinski’s no nomad. He’s no football mercenary. Heck, he only went after this job because he lost his teaching job at Franklin Central during a reduction-in-force that gutted the school district. The 43-year-old spent the last eight years coaching at Franklin Central — a former powerhouse that won four state championships between 1980 and 1990, but has fallen on hard times lately. After six years as an assistant, he was the head coach the past two years, going 7-13 with a pair of close losses in sectional openers. Before that, Karpinski coached for six years at the University of Indianapolis, where he wound up after playing cornerback at Hillsdale College. Hillsdale is about 90 miles from his hometown of Hastings, Mich., where he was a high school quarterback. Moving to Michigan City brings him much closer to home — and gives him a teaching job and an exciting opportunity. “I just feel real blessed to be right here,” he said. The Wolves can only hope he sticks around and helps the moribund program (no conference or sectional titles since Rogers and Elston were consolidated in 1995) realize the potential it briefly showed under Buzea. After just four practices, Karpinski has been particularly impressed with the enthusiasm the players have for the game, for him and for his new system. It’s easy to assume that the Wolves would be jaded and cynical while dealing with yet another new coach making the same old promises. But Karpinski was thrilled to find that they’re not like that at all. “I sure haven’t noticed it,” he said. “They sure haven’t shown it if that’s the case. They’ve been working their tails off and have done everything I’ve asked of them. I’ve come in with a lot of enthusiasm, and they seem to have responded.” Karpinski made a good impression with his first practice. Rather than the usual morning workout, he brought his team to Ames Field — probably the coolest football stadium in the region — under the lights on Monday night. And while it took more than a half hour just to teach the kids how to warm up and break the huddle — “baby steps,” Karpinski said — things quickly came together. He introduced the players to his offense — a traditional power-I. Not as complicated as Buzea’s multiple-set spread offense, not as one-dimensional as Schreiber’s option. “It’s basic football,” Karpinski said. “In today’s game, it seems like a lot of coaches try to get too cute. We’re going to come out and run the football, be physical, and we’re really going to stress blocking and tackling — shoot, that’s usually what it comes down to. We’re going to play power football, fire off the ball and really be physical out there.” Karpinski insisted he’s not daunted by the enormity of the task, trying to wake up the sleeping giant. But he’s got his work cut out for him. The football program always has taken a backseat to basketball. And the relentless losing has made it even tougher to convince kids to come out for the team. Karpinski said he’s ready for all of that. He also said he’s not intimidated by the meatgrinder that is the Duneland Conference, a brutal schedule that makes rebuilding difficult — and painful. He knows the drill; at Franklin Central, he played state powers Lawrence Central, Pike and Columbus North every year. “I just know it’s an unbelievable conference, and I’m excited,” Karpinski said. “I’m ready for the challenge.” Heard that before, too, right? Every coach has said that. But the hard truth is nobody in the 16-year history of Michigan City High School has proven to be up to that challenge. Not for any extended period of time, at least. Will Karpinski be any different? He sure seems to think so. But, of course, it’s too early for anyone to tell. He won’t really get a feel for how well his new players can handle his system until they put on the pads in August. And the Wolves won’t really get a feel for Karpinski until they sweat their way through those two-a-days. But Karpinski feels good about what he has. And while he knows these kids and this community have been burned before, he hopes the feeling is mutual. “Kids are the same all over,” he said. “I think these kids are really looking for someone to step up and lead and fight for them. And I’m that guy.” |
Aug 22 2011, 01:56 PM
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Spends WAY too much time at CBTL Group: Admin Posts: 16,460 Joined: 8-December 06 From: Michigan City, IN Member No.: 2 |
http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...ff992441604.txt
QUOTE No debate here: Hirsch is the man By Adam Parkhouse Home Cookin' Published: Saturday, August 20, 2011 9:59 PM CDT One intra-squad night and another scrimmage against New Prairie are in the books. So what do we know about the 2011 Michigan City Wolves football team? As always at this point in the season, not a whole lot. Until real competition starts, it’s tough to gauge a team. But one thing is for sure: Unlike a year ago, there is no quarterback controversy for these Wolves. Senior Joel Hirsch is the man and the stability of knowing the job is his has to be reassuring. * Friday we got a brief look at the future in freshman Ryan Washington, the younger brother of Rodney Washington, who was under center for the last two years. But last season, there was some indecision as to whether Hirsch or Rodney would be the guy. Hirsch fit the offense better at the time but Rodney probably had the edge in physical ability. And because two-QB systems rarely work, the results were predictable. So far, perhaps my favorite thing about the Karpinski era is that players seem to have clearly defined roles. Karpinski said against New Prairie there was hardly any two-way play in the first half of the scrimmage. While on the official roster you might see FB/LB or OL/DL under the position column by most players, it seems guys are pretty much focusing on playing one position. Ideally, that’s the way you’d like to have it. We’ll see how that sticks together through the season, but having players more fresh throughout the game can only be a good thing. Back to Hirsch, I’m excited to see the kid get a full-time shot. He’s certainly earned it. He has decent size at 6-2 and 185 pounds and displayed above average arm strength on many throws Friday. Perhaps the best thing Hirsch has going for him, though, is between the ears. He strikes me as a bright kid who thinks through the game well. Karpinski seems to agree and told assembled media that he even let Hirsch call his own play against the Cougars. But just from talking to Hirsch and watching him on the field, you get the feeling that he’s a good leader and that he has the respect of his teammates. In a quarterback, that’s obviously of vital importance. Look, I’m not trying to convince you that the Wolves are going to contend for the Duneland Conference title or are going to win state, but at this early juncture, I see some things to be happy with. (Shameless plug: For my official prediction, check out The News-Dispatch 2011 Football Preview on Aug. 18.) Before the first game is played, truthfully, that’s all you can ask for. It’s enough to make me excited about football again, less than a year after a season I’d just as soon like to forget. |
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