The Lehigh football team knew things had to change after last year’s 3-8 finish, the worst season in Andy Coen’s head coaching career. But Coen was optimistic all would go back to the way it was before 2014.
Despite the poor season in 2014, he said the team’s goals have still remained the same: beat Lafayette College and win a Patriot League championship. Coen recognizes the goals may be aggressive, but he knows that the team has reached them before.
One of the biggest changes was the defense, which the Mountain Hawks completely overhauled. Coen said the team has adopted a more aggressive style of defense.
“I think we’ve got a defense that a lot of people are going to like to watch now,” he said.
Last year, Lehigh’s defense allowed an average of 474.9 yards per game, which ranked 112 out of 121 FCS schools. They were also No. 105 in total sacks last season, recording just 15.
Coen noted the team has had more players healthy during training camp and have ramped up the physicality of fall practices in order to prepare the players more for the regular season. He said he’s happy with the way the defensive line has looked, noting they’re much bigger than they have been in the past.
Coen said junior linebackers Colton Caslow and Pierce Ripanti have looked great on defense, as well as senior linebacker Noah Robb. Senior captain Matt Laub said the team has the most depth at linebacker out of any position.
Laub, who switched from outside linebacker to defensive end this year, said he thinks the defense is much more fit to run now.
“Last year we were kind of sitting back and getting punched in the face, and now it’s more of an attack defense, especially inside the box,” he said. “We’ve got six guys inside the box mostly at all times. It’s a blast playing in there.”
Both Laub and Coen pointed out the secondary has improved as well after struggling at times last year. Many of the same players in the secondary are returning, such as junior Brandon Leaks and seniors LaQuan Lambert and Olivier Rigaud.
Offensively, the team looks a bit different. While junior Nick Shafnisky will remain the starting quarterback, the Mountain Hawks have a pair of freshman, Dominick Bragalone and Micco Brisker, at the top of the running back depth chart. The team lost its three top running backs from last year.
Coen and Shafnisky both feel good about their wide receiver depth as well. Seniors Stefan Sansone and Derek Knott are both back this year, as well as sophomores Troy Pelletier and Gatlin Casey, who Coen specifically said have really stepped it up in training camp.
“You can just see it on the field,” Sansone said of the team’s attitude. “Guys are just more excited this year, guys are flying around on both sides of the ball.”
The lack of serious injuries thus far, as well the players’ efforts to keep up with their rehab, has also been a key part of the offseason, according to Sansone. Their offensive line, which had multiple starters injured last year, is mostly healthy now.
“I think a lot of guys have been staying on top of their treatment with the trainers this year as far as their times go,” Sansone said. “Overall they’ve been all over it. Everybody wants to be on the field because they see something special with this team.”
It may not be high school anymore, but the team will get to experience Friday night lights again in their season opener against Central Connecticut State University. The game will be away Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.
Coen said this is the first time Lehigh has had a Friday night game since he’s been coaching the Hawks, and the players are visibly excited about it.
“To start a season like this is really cool, especially for the seniors who probably won’t play another night game again in their life,” Shafnisky said. “It’ll definitely be one crazy game.”
Shafnisky said getting a win in the opener will help send a message to people who doubt them this year.
“I want to come out and I want to put up 56 points against these guys,” he said. “I want to make a statement. I don’t want to take it easy or lay back on them. I really want to take it to them on offense.”
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