It’s not easy following up a championship season.
Blanchard, the defending 4A state champions, are aiming to do something that has not been done in 4A in almost a decade – repeat as state champions.
On Monday, the Lions’ defense as champions started with the first day of practice.
Blanchard coach Jeff Craig said starting a season after a championship is always difficult but his players this season have accepted the fight.
“It’s always a good way to enter the year, but it is a challenging year, just because you got a giant target on your back,” Craig said. “I’m sure everybody is gunning for us this year and we have to accept that challenge and come to work. I think our guys have really accepted the challenge this year and come back to work with a mentality of not satisfied. We want to get back and so they’ve come to summer practices and spring workouts and the early part of the season with that as our vision.”
The early part of the season has not been kind to the Lions already.
Standout senior Hudsen Periman, a do-it-all player for the Lions is expected to miss a majority of the season.
Periman was injured in a camp earlier this summer and broke his collarbone.
A big loss for the Lions as Periman played tight end, but also played a bevy of other positions on the field.
Craig said depending on how the season goes will determine when Periman will see the field.
“So right now we are looking at probably game eight or game nine,” Craig said. “If the season is going pretty good, maybe it’s a week nine thing. We just don’t want to take a chance on that and just have him good and ready for the playoffs, but we’ll just kind of play that out as the season goes.”
Periman was also the backup quarterback last year and was expected to compete for the starting position, but a move-in for the Lions have revved up a competition at quarterback.
Noah Smith is a move-in from Westmoore and is a ‘pleasant surprise’ for Craig and his staff. Smith is a sophomore standing at 6-foot-3 who got some playing time last season as a freshman.
Smith’s competitor is another sophomore in Shaddox Swires. Swires has been in Blanchard’s system since elementary school and has grown to become a threat for the starting job.
Also part of the fight for the job is Coric Pierce. Pierce, a senior, is more of a wide receiver and defender for the Lions. Pierce caught a touchdown and had two interceptions in the state championship game last season.
Craig said there is a possibility this competition will carry over into the season.
“It’s probably those two guys (Smith and Swires),” Craig said. “If we need to do something in a different fashion, we can always stick Coric back there. We’ve got some options, but right now, it’s up for grabs.
“We will have it solved by districts, maybe even before that. I’ve been notorious for playing two quarterbacks when I’ve got them and we will probably go into the first few games with them both getting reps, just to see how they do under fire and see where they are at when it’s an actual game situation. We may name a starter, but we may still use both guys in some capacity.”
