Triad gridders conclude summer camp; ready for start of preseason

The last day of Triad football’s summer camp marked a first for some and a last time for others. 

Triad running back  Awsom Mitchell (20) catches a toss during the Cardinals’ final day of summer camp earlier this week. Preseason practices begin on Monday.

(Photo by Aleksei Pavloff)

A cloudy evening covered the North Lewisburg-area landscape as the Cardinals gathered for their final summer camp.

With the start of the season around the corner, the last day marked the beginning of the end for seniors looking to make their last ride worth the work.

Tucker Webb, a senior offensive lineman, spent time as a linebacker and tight end last season. 

After losing last year’s offensive line to graduation, first-year head coach Mike Braun opted to pivot the senior’s talents to the trenches.

 Webb, who is entering his final season on the gridiron, just wants to play.

The Cardinal has not played a full campaign since his freshman year due to a number of injuries. 

This time around, he wants to leave the field intact and with full participation.

With a new coaching staff leading the charge, Webb alluded that changes come with challenges.

“It is a different structure,” he said. “I personally am making a big position change as well, so there is that aspect.”

Other than a pivot in positioning, Webb is also still recovering from an ACL injury he suffered last season. Even though challenges have sprouted up, the senior tries to keep a level head entering his final ride.

 “Just with my injury, I just want to play as many games as I can,” he noted about his mindset heading into his final camp. “I don’t care… I am playing every single game.”

For freshman Colton Thomas, the opportunity to make an impact can be immediate once he gets acclimated to the speed of high school ball.

“I was expecting a big jump in competition,” he said when he first reported to camp. “What surprised me the most was the tempo compared to middle school… it is just a drastic change.”

 The evolution to not just the speed but overall physicality of the game can be a daunting task. Moments of intense competition can offer learning experiences for newcomers. 

Webb remembers his welcome to high school football well.  

“My freshmen year, Chase Hecker could lay down the boom,” he recalled. “I hacked him off in practice and he kept messing up… so then after the third time running the exact same play, he drove me about 15-20 yards.”

 The senior Cardinal also thought back to when he got his first reps on the varsity squad. In his first two scrimmages, he went up against offensive linemen much bigger than himself.

 “I learned that people can hit and I’ve just got to be more physical and stand my ground better,” he said.

For a newcomer like Thomas, almost everything about high school football can be seen as a learning experience. He had to adapt quickly to the impact of the game after putting on pads for the first time.

“The hits are a lot more damaging,” he said. “You have to be physical and not just stand there, or else you get hurt.”

While playeers like Thomas sometimes struggle to grasp the speed and adversity of football at the high school level, upperclassmen such as Webb take the opportunity to guide underclassmen through the trials and tribulations.

 “If someone doesn’t know something, they either ask the coaches or me,” Webb said. “I just do my best to answer everyone’s questions and do my best to understand the play so I can answer those questions.”

 “[The upperclassmen] have done a great job,” Thomas said. “I like how they have stepped up with the new system on offense and defense.”

While in different age brackets, both young and old players alike will strive for one goal… to bring Triad football back to a competitive level. 

Last season, the team produced a 4-7 overall record with a 2-3 Ohio Heritage Conference mark.

“I definitely want to make the playoffs this season,” Webb said. “We made the playoffs last season, but I wasn’t a part of that. I only played six games.

“My personal goal is to play every game and I’m hoping to play every one.”

“For the team, people think Triad is at the bottom,” said Thomas. “I want it to be back like it used to be.

“For me, I just want to go out there, compete and be dominant.”

The final practice was interrupted by thunderous weather conditions, forcing the team to head to the locker rooms. 

While forced to remain still, the change-up gave Braun and his coaching staff a chance to reiterate what the expectation is for the Red and Black.

The season will start for the Cardinals on Friday,  Aug. 18 when they host Mount Gilead.