CARMEL, IN. — I’ve been makin’ my way around the vaunted Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference better known in these football streets as the M.I.C. this week and hollered at the homies at Carmel on Wednesday. When I walked into the stadium to watch the Greyhounds practice the swag just jumped off of the field and hit me in the face. Kids were flyin’ around puttin’ in major work like they REALLY loved this game. Music was playin’ and boyz were in a zone. The coaches were hyped as players made plays durin’ scrimmages and it was off the charts!!! The darn freshman were even competin’ at a high level as they battled against the sophomore group.
Well playas…that enthusiasm is what builds a winnin’ tradition. The first thing I noticed was the banner runnin’ along the visitor’s sideline that read “8-Time State Champions!!!” That’s enough to make a boy think twice about rollin’ in lookin’ to take their sneakers and jewelry. Not a chance playboy!!! Not out there.
The Greyhounds are comin’ off of a 8-5 season a year ago but they return 16 starters!!! That’s HUGE because out of all of the teams I saw play last year they were the most disciplined. They were young but they were well coached and that type of experience comin’ into the 2018 campaign makes them a very special group.
Speakin’ with Coach John Hebert after practice on what he’s expectin’ this year out of his team he had this to say, “Well it’s quite a bit different than last year. We’re really happy with these guys from where they are right now. And uh…it started way back in January that…you know…they just had a different attitude about them in the weight room. And they seem to…kinda hang out more than some of the groups we’ve had in the past few years. You could just tell they weren’t satisfied with last year and the way things ended.”
He goes on to say that “We loss to some rivals here that…people around here don’t like losing to. I’d like to think that we learned a lot of things and we bring up a lot of those past experiences when we’re preparing and trying to get the most out of what we’re trying to do.” Here’s the entire interview:
Hebert has a bunch of kids that just love to compete with one another and it’s made them a better ball club. They’ll be leanin’ on their veteran offensive line to get the job done up front as they make room for a stable of running backs led by junior Dylan Downing.
They’ve got 9 returnin’ starters on the defensive side of the ball which probably makes it the most experienced unit in the conference. That’s goin’ to be a problem for a lot of teams around here.
Let me put it where the goats can get it. They’re the most disciplined team walkin’ and now you’re combinin’ that with crazy experience too? It’s goin’ to be NUTS in Carmel this fall. NUTS as in REAL good playas! Keep up with me, I know that the lingo confuses some folks but it’s sports and it’s supposed to be fun. So loosen up.
Again, from what I’ve seen of this team practicin’ so far, they all seem to be on the same page and that’s an advantage. With more than a week until they suit up against Louisville Trinity they’re way ahead of the curve. I’m serious about that playa.
I chopped it up with a few of the team leaders as well and here’s what MLB Matt Boyer #56, SS Nate Frey #22, FB Haakon Van Beynen #48, NT Cole Brevard #90, RB Camari Hunt #16 and RB Dylan Downing #2 had to say:
It’s almost game time and the Carmel Greyhounds are ready to run! Stop me when I start lyin’!
Playas Thesaurus: Learn these words this season!
1) Dun: noun – the person in question, dude, guy, etc. It’s whoever I’m talkin’ about and its non-gender specific.
2) Put it where the goats can get it: verb phrase – to make it as elementary as possible. To put it at ground level so everyone can understand it.
3) Ole boy: noun – the person that I’m currently talkin’ about.
The G is excluded from the endings of all words because the G is near and dear to my heart because I’m from “The G” which is Gary, Indiana. So I only use the G when I’m talkin’ about “The G!”
The caption under the photo isn’t real but its real talk!