The Lisbon Lions, if they have learned anything from eight-year head coach Phil Whitman, are a team focused on their current opponent, and not much else.
“We can’t look past” teams or “down the road,” Whitman said last season.
The 2021 campaign was the first on the team’s new field, and ended with a loss to East Buchanan Oct. 29 in the postseason. The Lions had recently defeated the Bellevue Comets in the first round of postseason competition.
Whitman said he likes his team to take it a little bit easier than some other teams might during practices, an approach he has seen pay off in different ways when Friday night rolls around.
A well-rested team is quicker on the field on game nights, Whitman has observed. And taking it easier on his athletes is also a strategy he uses for practical reasons.
In practices, “you’re not going to see us butting heads.”
In Class A, the classification the Lions compete in, “we can’t afford to lose kids to injuries. Especially not during practice,” Whitman said.
“I have to do whatever I can to keep them healthy, and but also have them as fresh as they can be for Friday night,” said the coach.
The Lions officially kick off their season Friday, Aug. 26, but can be caught in action on their home field Sept. 9, when they host Alburnett at 7 p.m.
Lisbon football focused on the here and now
August 25, 2022
Trent Bowman
The Lisbon Lions charge onto Walmer Field Friday, Oct. 8.
