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HHF/GID Interview with West Lafayette Head Coach Shane Fry


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HHF Interview with West Lafayette Head Coach Shane Fry
 
The Red Devils are one of Indiana's "Elite" high school football programs regardless of class, and Fry has another solid edition on hand for the 2021 season.
 
 
Thanks for joining us Coach Fry
 
Question 1
For starters, tell us about your summer workout program for the Red Devils. What areas have been your primary focus during June-July drills, and what have you learned about your team through various 7 on 7 and other team competitions?
Response
Our focus is to get our entire team to all of our training sessions throughout the summer. We want to develop a strong work ethic and want all of our guys to become stronger, faster, and better athletes. We take the football part of it very slow. We normally practice once a week and try to use the 5 scrimmage days throughout the summer. Our focus in practice is skill work and installation of our offense/defense. We try to scrimmage the best competition we can find at the various team camps/scrimmages/etc. We have seen our team improve from June to July. We have a long way to go and our players know it is our goal to be playing at our peak in late October and November.
 
 
Question 2
West Lafayette has had a great run of talent over the past several years, starting of course with the Karlaftis brothers. Have you been fortunate just to catch a strong wave of naturally talented athletes, or is the talent more homegrown and a product of your feeder systems and your player development initiatives over the past several seasons?
Response
We have been very fortunate with the talent that has come through West Lafayette the past 10-15 years. In my time here we have had several division 1 football players and some other D2/D3/NAIA guys as well. The talent certainly helps, but football is the ultimate team sport and we don't win games with just 1 or 2 special players. It takes the entire team to contribute to our success. We have a solid youth program and a solid strength program. We have a culture of winning and giving maximum effort to be the best you can be at whatever you are doing.
 
 
Question 3
By and large, most knowledgeable football people would agree that the quality of play and the teams being produced in the Greater Lafayette area has increased significantly over the past decade. Across the board in all classes, we are seeing Lafayette schools working their way up the rankings and continuing to make strides in the state tournament. What do you attribute these improvements to, and do you expect this trend of improvement and excellence to continue?
Response
I contribute the quality of football to the great community that we have here in Lafayette. We have great kids, great families, and great schools here in Tippecanoe County. I do expect it to continue. Tippecanoe County is growing and the county schools, Harrison and McCutcheon, are seeing tremendous growth in enrollment. Coach Shanley has done an outstanding job with Lafayette Jeff, and they are really investing in their athletics with facilities upgrades. Coach Nay is also doing great things at LCC already winning a state championship in his short time there.
 
 
Question 4
You took over a highly successful program in 2007 and have taken it a step or two further in terms of postseason success and talent development. How would you assess the macro status of your program in terms of overall numbers, positional depth, skill level, and top to bottom program cohesiveness heading into the 2021 season as compared to what you took over in 2013?
Response
Our program is in great shape. Our numbers 9-12 are almost identical to when I became the head coach in 2013, but our JH and youth numbers are currently better than what we have had in the past. We seem to go in cycles with positional depth and currently our strength is probably in the skill positions. Right now at the middle school level we have great numbers and the strength there is our offensive and defensive lineman.
 
 
Question 5
While most people would be thoroughly content with an 8-2 record, it represented a bit of a dip for your team in 2020 as you exited the post season with a first round sectional loss to Guerin Catholic. What if any impact did Covid have on your results last year, how did your kids respond to the setback, and how did last season impact your expectations as you look ahead to the coming fall campaign?
Response
Covid had very little impact on our season. Our #1 goal every season is to win the sectional and we didn't get it done last year. Obviously it was a very weird football season and our kids were happy and appreciative that we were able to play, but that didn't make it hurt any less to have our season end in the sectional. Win or lose our kids are very motivated to be the best they can be, and they are hungry to get back out on the field this coming fall.
 
 
Question 6
What is the core identity of this program today , offensively, defensively and in your general approach to game prep, as you enter 2021 as one of the "elite" programs regardless of class in the entire state?
Response
Our identity is our toughness. Offensively we are a no huddle, spread team that will always be able to take what the defense gives us. We like to spread the ball around so the defense can't key on just one thing or one player. Defensively we do many different things. We are a 3-4 base team and put our defensive players in the best position to be successful. Our general approach to game prep is that we get 9 practice games to prepare for the sectional. We want to win every game, but the most important thing in the regular season is that we continue to improve and prepare and develop our players for the post season.
 
 
Question 7
The Hoosier Conference is a rock solid league that spans a lot of territory and includes some of the fiercest rivalries in the state. Are you happy with the current divisional set up, the scheduling, the week 9 arrangement, and the flexibility the conference gives you to schedule non-con play that best suits your program?
Response
We love the Hoosier Conference. We get 2 non conference games which allows us to schedule some bigger local schools then we play a nice mix of teams throughout the conference schedule. The week 9 crossover is a great prep for the sectional. Most of the time we don't know our week 9 opponent until week 8 finishes up so its just like winning a sectional game and only having 1 week to prepare for your next opponent.
 
 
Question 8
Strength and speed training and year round player development are becoming a bigger and more critical element relative to on field success. Many schools use the big Indy programs of The MIC and The HCC as benchmarks to measure themselves in this critical area of team building. How does your program stack up in terms of overall investment, facilities, coaching and training and overall year long commitment to the process?
Response
Our team is very invested in the weight room. We know that's what it takes to have a successful program and our guys will always do whatever it takes. We have made some recent upgrades in our weight room and our academic scheduling so our athletes can take our APC class and work out year round.
 
 
Question 9
With such a busy and sometimes frantic summer schedule, and with everyone always pulling at your shirttails for some time, what do you do to get away from it all, rest, relax and recharge your batteries for the battles coming this fall?
Response
My wife is our varsity softball coach at West Lafayette so the entire school year is pretty crazy balancing our sports and our kids' activities. During the summer we love to just spend time together and do all kinds of things with our kids. Also, Im a big golfer so I try to get out 2-3 times per week.
 
 
Question 10
Who are your top returning kids on both sides of the ball in 2021, what do you expect to be the main area of strength for this team, and what expectations are you and your staff setting for the 2021 WL Red Devils?
Response
The following returners were starters last year and received several post season awards ranging from All-Hoosier Conference to All-State. On Defense: Connor Barkett, Quin Custer, Jaxon Deutsch, JT Downey, Mo Omonode, Matthew Richardson, and on offense Cannon Melchi. Our strength this year will be our defense and our senior leadership. Our #1 goal is to win the sectional.
 
 
Question 11
Coach, you have been for some time now considered one of the top up and coming young coaches in the state. You have built a tremendous program at WL and one that is feared and respected across Indiana. Coaching turnover is a given in our sport, and big jobs will be opening every year in Indianapolis. Would you consider a 5a or 6A mega school opportunity should one become available that aligns with your long term career goals and objectives?
Response
I appreciate the compliment, but I am a very small part of the success of our program here. Our players are the key to the program. As I said before, my wife is the head softball coach here and we love West Lafayette. We love the school, the community, and the fact that we basically live on the campus of a big ten university. This is a great place for our family.
 
 
Coach, Thank you and best of luck to you and your team this fall.
 
Tim Phillips
Hoosier High School Football

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