By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
After twelve seasons with the Knights, Shane Richards has taken over as the head football coach at Sacred Heart.
Richards will now be tasked with righting a ship that sailed into an 0-9 record last year, and which has not posted a winning record since 2013, but he is more than up for the challenge.
“It’s a different mindset going from assistant coach to head coach,” Richards said. “But I think I’m adjusting well, I’ve got a great coaching staff who have made this transition a lot easier.”
Richards has high expectations for the Knights in 2020, despite the clubs lack of recent success.
“I think we can make the playoffs,” he said. “We have a solid core of kids coming back out, we have great senior leadership and I believe with our style of play and with our mentality we can get there.”
To meet these lofty goals, Sacred Heart will have to exceed expectations this season, especially with a roster of just 22 players, many of whom will be playing both ways.
While participation may be down, Richards doesn’t see that as a hindrance to the team’s ability to win football games.
“We still put 11 guys out there and we still expect to be the best 11 in between those white lines,” Richards said.
With senior Mac Hemmer transferring to Salina Central, Senior Jacob Gormley will be taking over as the teams starting QB in week one.
Gormley will be leading a completely overhauled offense, which Richards believes will be a better fit to his rosters strengths this season.
“We changed the offense completely,” he said. “We’re not running the spread anymore, we’re going to more of a power run style of offense.”
To run this new system, Sacred Heart needs a veteran back, and a solid O-line to run behind. Fortunately for the Knights, they have both.
Senior running back Jared McCartney will return for a third straight year as the bell-cow back for the Knights. Joining him in the backfield will be Mason Richards, who will be making the rare transition from offensive lineman to fullback.
As for the offensive front, freshman Cooper Ivey and sophomore Adrian Panuco will complement returning juniors Izeyiah Rodriguez and Julian Torres, and returning senior Gus Campa.
On the defensive side, the spotlight will be in the trenches, as seniors Gus Campa, Mason Richards and Jacob Gormley anchor the defensive line.
Behind them, Adrian Panuco and Julian Torres will lead the linebackers, while a more youthful group will be responsible for holding down the secondary.
After graduating both of their corners in 2019, Sacred Heart will turn to freshman Michael Matteucci to lock down receivers opposite his senior counterpart Jarrett McMillan.
The Knights will have a fresh face at safety as well with freshman Evan Bogart patrolling the deepest part of the field.
Sacred Heart will begin their season on the road this friday against Ellsworth (5-4 in 2019) before returning home for a date with Ell Saline the following week.