ANNA (WSIL) � In 2017, the Anna-Jonesboro football team went 12-1. They followed up that campaign with an 8-3 record. Didn’t lose a conference game in two years. They graduated 22 starters so in 2019 it was a rebuilding season. They took their lumps and with the losses came game experience and that’s what they are building off of.
“We only had seven seniors last year so a lot of the kids out here were pressed into varsity duty as sophomores and so we had a pretty good idea of what we had coming back,� Anna-Jonesboro football coach Brett Detering said.
This year is different with an ongoing pandemic but this program is built to adapt.
“When we play, whether it’s pushed back or in the spring or some sort of modification, I don’t think it changes how we approach it.�
“There’s still going to be a week one game so you have to get your team ready to play in that week. Our identity has always been we are an option football team. We will continue to be an option football team. It’s what I know, it’s what I can coach, and I feel as though if something isn’t working, what’s plan B, how do I fix this and that’s one of the things we’ve done for a long time is we run the option. We know the option so we know how to make adjustments as necessary.�
Speaking of adjustments, you have to find creative ways to practice especially considering the IHSA currently prohibits physical contact during workouts. Coach sums it up perfectly.
“We’re doing a heck of a job blocking air,� Detering said. “We’re seeming to making a lot of blocks because what we are blocking is air. It changes a lot once you get the pads out or you are going against another person. You’d like to be working your defensive backs as well but the only thing they can really work on is back pedal, turn and run because it’s not like they are trying to defend a person like they would get used to defending a zone. So it makes it challenging so you are really just trying to work concepts maybe refresh because when you ask a kid ‘remember this from last year? They are like, no I don’t� so a part of that is just having an opportunity to go back and redo things. And typically for us, we normally had a football camp early in June in previous years so we kind of installed our offense then so when we get to July it’s just kind of remember what we did a month ago and it’s a lot easier. Right now we are back in and this is like our first part of what we would normally do on a normal year and just try to go slow, get some teaching in, being out working with your kids at this time of year and have an opportunity to teach football but teach about some life things too and our kids need it right now more than any time.�
