JOHN MIDDLETON
Sports Editor
The upcoming senior class has been mentioned as one of the best in recent memory at Harlan, but to cement their spot as one of the best groups to wear green they must become leaders this spring.
“I talked to them before practice about leadership. We only had three seniors last year, but if they are going to meet those guys in leadership they have a long way to go,” said Harlan coach J.B. Donahue. “These guys have all the ability, and now it’s a matter of effort and leadership.”
Donahue said he is pleased with the turnout for spring practice so far.
“We’ve got 17 kids out here right now with four middle school kids watching. For us, that is a pretty good number,” Donahue said. “We have got kids playing track, tennis and baseball, so I am pleased with the turnout.”
Donahue and the Harlan coaching staff will use their allotted spring practices as an opportunity to teach schemes and technique.
“We are putting in a few little wrinkles offensively and defensively. We are not doing a lot of banging around, but we are doing a lot of teaching right now, especially with our lineman,” he said. “That is going to be a big key for us. We know we have a lot of skill kids coming back, so if we can get good line play it will make a big difference for us.”
2011 ended with a disappointing 38-6 loss at Williamsburg in the second round of the Class A playoffs, and the Dragons are working to make sure that doesn’t happen again this season.
“We don’t want to end in the first or second week of the playoffs. I think these guys have the potential to go a lot farther than that,” Donahue said.
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