Krull not daunted by Mikes’ move up to Class 2-A
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels junior Kevin Kelly returns as the Mikes鈥� starting quarterback for the 2018 season. Kelly passed for 588 yards and eight touchdowns, and rushed for 223 yards and four TDs last year.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels players pose as senior Dalton Black (11) snaps a photo on his cellphone during the Mikes鈥� picture day.
Carmichaels sophomore Bailey Jones gets prepped by friends and family before having his photo taken during the Mikes' picture day.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Ryan Krull is entering his sixth season as Carmichaels head coach. He guided the Mikes to a conference title in 2016 and to a first-round playoff victory last year.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels鈥� coaching staff for the 2018 season includes (from left) Adam Hein, Chase Johnston, head coach Ryan Krull, Ken Perkins, Fred Morecraft and Ron Gallagher.
Carmichaels junior Eli Johnston (34) helps a possible Mikes player of the future with his uniform during the team's picture day.
Carmichaels senior Jacob Shaw is the Mikes' most experienced lineman returning this season and is expected to play a key role on both sides of the ball.
Carmichaels football helmets line the sideline as players get their individual photos taken without them during the Mikes' picture day.
Carl Wheeler
Carmichaels 2018 football team
The sign at Carmichaels' Coaches Field lists the completed rein of all of the Mkes' coaches and athletic directors since 1923. Current coach Ryan Krull took over in 2013.
Carmichaels' WPIAL football championships, conference titles and notable jersey numbers are acknowledged around the scoreboard at Coaches Field. Current coach Ryan Krull led the Mikes to the 2016 Tri-County South title which is designated at the far left.
CARMICHAELS 鈥� Carmichaels has been one of the area鈥檚 most consistent football programs, a winning team that is usually in the upper echelon of the Tri-County South.
The scenario is different this season, however.
The Mikes were bumped up from Class 1-A to 2-A, thanks to being one over the enrollment cut-off.
Now lurking on Carmichaels鈥� schedule are teams such as defending 2-A champion Washington and Charleroi, former Class 3-A schools such as McGuffey and Southmoreland, as well as familiar former top-notch TCS foes Beth-Center and Frazier.
Sixth-year Carmichaels coach Ryan Krull isn鈥檛 worried about Prexies or Cougars or Highlanders, though.
Krull will concentrate mainly on the Mikes, as he always has.
鈥淲e just try to worry about us,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淲e tell our players frequently, let鈥檚 be the best we can be. The focus is always going to be about us and not our opponents. That鈥檚 the way we鈥檝e done it in the past and that鈥檚 the way we鈥檒l continue to do it.鈥�
That philosophy has worked well for Krull as the program stepped up another level the past two seasons. In 2016, Carmichaels won it first conference title since 2002, and last year the Mikes won their first playoff game since 2002 during an 8-3 season that included a 6-1 mark in the TCS.
Carmichaels also played well in its quarterfinal playoff game last year, falling to traditional power Clairton, 37-12, in a game that was much closer than the score indicated.
鈥淚 feel we are trending in the right direction from a program standpoint,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淚 really believe that. But we鈥檙e not there yet. We鈥檙e not satisfied.鈥�
With the program on the upswing, it would鈥檝e been easy for Krull to pout about being pushed up to 2-A, but he had no complaints and is pleased with how his players have accepted that challenge.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e been grinding,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what camp is. Our offseason in terms of summer work and preseason camp has been what it has been in years past. They鈥檙e working their tails on. I think their mindset is generally where it needs to be at this point in the year.鈥�
It helps to have a veteran quarterback, and Krull has that in junior Kevin Kelly, who started last year.
鈥淜evin grew a lot from a freshman to a sophomore, and he鈥檚 even grown more from sophomore to junior,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 starting to do things that we need him to do, from a leadership standpoint.鈥�
Kelly has evolved at his position.
鈥淚 would have said last year he鈥檚 more of a thrower that can run,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淚 think he can do both now. I think he鈥檚 pretty balanced with what he can do with his arm and what he can do with his legs. That鈥檚 a testament to the work he put in in the offseason because he鈥檚 gained a significant amount of weight from what he was as a sophomore. He鈥檚 really built pretty well.鈥�
When Kelly hands the ball off, it will be to a stable of running backs, not just one or two, in keeping with the Mikes鈥� tradition.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got several guys that are going to touch the ball,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 consistent with what we鈥檝e done in the past. We鈥檒l have senior Joey Minor back there, we鈥檒l have juniors Mike Robinson and John Lilley and sophomores Bailey Jones and Hunter Voithofer back there as well.鈥�
The Mikes are a running team, although Kelly did throw for 588 yards and eight touchdowns last year.
鈥淲e鈥檒l still throw the ball when we feel we have an advantage on the outside with seniors Billy Piper, juniors Zack Gamble and Damian Plavi and sophomore Jacob Smith,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淎ll those guys have been working in that role.鈥�
The positions hit hardest by graduation were the offensive and defensive lines.
鈥漌e鈥檝e got a lot of new faces,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e replaced every starter from last year, not only that but out of nine guys who played on the offensive line last year, eight of them are gone. We have one guy back, Jacob Shaw, who didn鈥檛 start but had some significant playing time.
鈥滲ut the expectation has not changed with the guys who will be playing this year. If they do what they鈥檙e capable of doing, they鈥檒l be better than anyone we鈥檝e had here. But that remains to be seen. We鈥檒l see how they respond when the lights come on.鈥�
Shaw is a 6-foot-2, 315-pound senior who will be counted on heavily on both sides of the ball.
鈥滼acob is not just a big body,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got some athletic ability to him. He wants to be a force in the middle.鈥�
The Mikes are a bit more settled at linebacker, but have a host of possibilities in the secondary.
鈥淎t linebacker we鈥檒l have Hunter Voithofer in the middle, and seniors Joey Minor and Dalton Black on the outside,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淚n the perimeter we鈥檒l have John Lilley, Mike Robinson, Billy Piper, Zach Gamble, Damian Plavi, Jacob Smith and Brady Barnhart. The ones that perform the best in practice will get the nod on Friday.鈥�
The Mikes open their season with an Interstate game at Beth-Center Friday night.
Krull is not afraid to go to his bench when he feels a starter is tiring.
鈥淲e are always conscious of trying to use our depth to our advantage,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we have a guy who we feel might need a little bit of a breather, let鈥檚 put the back-up in who鈥檚 100 percent instead of the starter who鈥檚 at 70 percent. That will hold true again this year when that鈥檚 possible.鈥�
As far as goals for 2018, Interstate or Tri-County South, Krull鈥檚 expectations are always the same.
鈥淭he goal is to win every single game that we play,鈥� Krull said. 鈥淚f a coach ever goes into a game and says we just want to compete, I don鈥檛 know why that guy is even coaching.鈥�