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FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Cougars adapting quickly to new coach’s methods, philosophies
Sam Carnes wanted his first head coaching job to be at a school with a good tradition and a solid foundation, not necessarily a complete rebuild of a struggling program.
So when Greg Barrett departed North Putnam this spring for South Vermillion, Carnes was attracted to the Cougar job and has loved how things have come together for his team in such a short time.
“The kids bought in right away, and I didn’t know how quickly that would happen,” said Carnes, a 25-year-old who served as an assistant at Class 6A power Avon the past few years. “I have earned their trust, and it’s a really good group of kids. Greg already had them in great shape, and they were already doing good things in the weight room.
“They love football and they love learning,” he added. “It’s been a pretty smooth transition. The kids have been outstanding, and the coaches have worked hard.”
The Cougars scrimmaged against Class 3A Cardinal Ritter in Indianapolis, a team ranked in the state’s top 10 and which received a first-place vote in the preseason poll.
“It’s hard to tell, since it’s a scrimmage and not a real game,” Carnes said. “We turned the ball over too many times, and we did not get balls on receivers like we need to. Up front, we moved guys off the ball and had two big runs.
“We played really well overall defensively, and hit holes and gaps really hard,” he added. “We struggled a little bit in coverage.”
Carnes said there is one positive ray of hope for his team’s shortcomings last week.
“All of our problems are fixable errors,” he said. “It’s not a lack of talent. Just a lack of fundamentals at times or lack of focus. It was good sitting in and watching film on Saturday to see how we can approach fixing these problems.”
Senior Hayden Rudes returns at quarterback for the fourth straight year.
“He’s developed a lot this summer in the area of stepping up in the pocket,” he said. “He’s learned our reads and who to throw to very well. He’s a super coachable kid, and we have a couple of really good younger ones behind him. Next year’s quarterback battle is going to be really good.”
Carnes considers running back his team’s best position. Barrett was the recipient of a gift last summer when standout runner Solomon Gross transferred to North Putnam from Pennsylvania. He has graduated, but several incumbents are back to man the position – led by 6-2, 205-pound senior Ethan Christy.
“Buck is really good at running the ball,” Carnes said. “Chris Murray [a junior] can also run the ball well, and Aidan Baker [a sophomore] can too, despite his size. We have three good runners back there.”
All-state tight end Max Haste, an Indiana All-Star, has moved on to Marian University.
Carnes noted that he and his staff have moved some players to positions which they may not be comfortable with yet, but he is seeing progress.
Helping to fill in for the absence of Haste is senior wideout Darrin Tennis, as well as help from an unexpected source.
“I came to a track meet after I was hired, and I saw our left guard [Dillon Binnion] running the 200 and winning an event,” Carnes said. “I timed him in the 40 and he was one of our fastest guys, so we have moved him to our tight end/H-back position. He’s out catching passes and running routes in the toughest position in our offense.
“He’s done a great job from being a career lineman to taking on this role.”
Carnes also thinks his offensive line will be good.
“Luke Sanford at center does a great job of directing everything,” he said. “We have some young guys, and some young guys in backup spots who I expect to step up. That’s our youngest spot, but that’s not our worst spot.”
Like most high school teams, the offensive and defensive lines are made up of the same core group. Carnes noted that James Upleger will also play defensive line, as well as Payton Patterson.
“We have guys with high motors who love to chase ball carriers,” he said.
Christy is the reigning Banner Graphic Defensive Player of the Year, and has already drawn raves from his new coach.
“I’ve only been coaching for four years, but he’s the best linebacker I’ve coached,” Carnes said. “We have probably six guys who could start at a lot of schools in the conference at linebacker.”
The secondary will be led by Jake Scott, someone who Carnes says “loves to fly down and hit people.”
Carnes noted that his team is missing one guy “big time” at cornerback, due to the death of Dylan Hess this summer in an automobile accident.
“We lost a teammate and a friend, a brother, and a pretty good cornerback, too,” he said. “His family lost a brother and a son, and our defensive backfield misses him also. We miss him as a teammate bigtime.”