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HHF / GID Interview with Southridge Raiders Head Coach Scott Buening


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HHF Interview with Southridge Raiders Head Coach Scott Buening
 
Southridge has its sights set on another PAC title, a sectional win and a possible return to Lucas Oil in November
 
Hello Coach Buening, and thanks for joining us at Hoosier High School Football and The Gridiron Digest
 
Question 1
You've had a good look at your team through summer drills and 7 on 7 competitions over the past two months. What are your observations as you head into the final month of preparations before the season opens, where do you see this team's strengths, and what areas are deficient and need improvement?
Response
Our approach to the summer is to both train and evaluate our team and players. We put a lot of time into evaluating our players as individuals and what they do best along with our team which helps us begin to develop an identity for the season. Every team has its own strengths and our ability to practice and scrimmage other teams allows us to film our sessions and evaluate how we move forward. We probably leave the summer each year with more questions than what we start the summer with but we generally feel like we have better and more specific questions which we can work to get answers to the first two weeks of official practice.
 
Question 2
Coach, entering your 9th year and coming off a 13-1 season and a berth in the south semi state, how would assess the general health of your football program in terms of overall numbers, skill level, strength and speed development, and game day execution of your offensive and defensive schemes and philosophies?
Response
Overall we feel like our program is healthy. We have solid numbers in both our Senior/Junior classes and larger than normal numbers in our sophomore and freshman classes. Our freshman class currently has 26 players which is the largest we have had in my tenure. We anticipate having 70+ players when we start on August 2nd and most all of these guys are committed players who have spent the summer training with us and invested in the program as a whole. We haven't been a big team physically speaking the past few years and this year will be no exception. We do feel like we have solid team speed across the board and we will need to be successful. Finally, this is our seventh year running the shotgun version of the Wing T which we have run for years and we feel like our kids have a good handle on the system. Defensively we have been forced to continue to evolve with all the different offensive styles we see throughout the year.
 
Question 3
Now that all the dust has settled with conference realignment in Southern Indiana, how does the new set up work for Southridge in terms of intra conference play, extension of rivalries, travel, and non conference scheduling?
Response
The only real change for us is losing Jasper which obviously was tough. It was a great rivalry game for us and one which we learned early in the season where we were as a team and program. Boonville replaced Jasper on our schedule which is another quality program and a great test for us each year as is the PAC in general then throw Linton-Stockton into the mix as our opener and we believe we have a great opportunity to get prepared for the tournament. There are so many good programs here in Southwestern Indiana that you have to be on point in regards to your overall program or you'll pay the price in season for any areas you lack. I think this area's success in the tournament has been evidence of the quality of teams in this area and in the PAC.
 
Question 4
3A has turned into a real battle ground across the state, with lots of solid public and private schools chasing after a state championship. The Success Factor has now been in play for several years, with an objective to maintain competitive balance in the post season tournament. Are you a supporter of the SF, and do you believe it has achieved its objective? Do you see any unintended consequences as well?
Response
I have mixed feelings on the Success Factor. I will say that I do think it has accomplished what it was established to do. I think the State, Coaches Associations, AD's and Principals saw a need for a change to provide for a more competitive balance within the Association and this is the system that was developed. In football, the development of 6A was much needed as well in my opinion and a good evolution for football in Indiana.
The only area that I'm not totally on board with is the specific two year time frame. I feel like that specific two year time frame is too restrictive in regards to it being a specific two years and just too small of a sample size. Team A could have the same (or even less) success than Team B but one gets moved up because it was in the specific two year window while the other does not because it split the two year window.
I feel like the purpose of the Success Factor is to balance out situations where maybe there is an inherent advantage (or disadvantage) that one team may have over others which is why we eventually moved to classed basketball...there were simply Sectionals which every team but one came into it knowing they weren't going to win it without a miracle, so I get it and while I loved the single class system in basketball, I understand why the change was made.
I do think if there is a true advantage, however, that plays out over time where I don't think two years is a big enough sample size and even if we had to keep the four years in a specific four years, I'd feel better about that since it's over a four year span for example than the current two year plan. Other than that, I really don't have an issue with what is trying to be accomplished through the Success Factor and how we are addressing it. There is no one size fits all, and I think most consider it an improvement over our old system.
 
Question 5
What is the core identity of your program, and will you be doing any thing differently this season based on returning personnel?
Response
We try not to make things real complicated around here, and if you met our coaching staff you'd understand why (we are not real smart!). We believe in our process and believe in our system. We don't touch a football after the season until late June or July and we push our kids to compete...compete in the winter then compete in the spring and continue to train. We ask a lot out of our kids each summer, they come in four mornings a week from 6-8 AM and we are able to find out through the summer who loves Raider Football and who we can trust in addition to our evening practices. We are very appreciative of our families support and players' effort to continue to try and compete with the best teams in the area.
Our on the field systems have enough variation that we think we can take what our kids/team does well and utilize those within our system. If we have done a good job preparing our kids, we think we'll play with mostly our juniors and seniors with a few sophomores sprinkled in there and we hope give ourselves a chance to win each Friday.
 
Question 6
Who are your top returning players on offense, defense and special teams?
Response
Aidan Jochem is a three year starter. He has started at TE/OLB/S the past two years and will move into the backfield this year. Reid Schroeder will return at OLB/FB and Kaden Neukam will as well at RB/S. Hunter Eckert started a couple games prior to a mid season injury last year and has had a great summer. Our punting, kicking and returning positions along with most of our other positions are all up for grabs.
 
Question 7
We have spoken at length about the growing need for a dedicated strength and conditioning program with many coaches from throuought the state. Some schools are more fortunate than others to have the resources in place to fund coaching and better equipment to assist in the development of their student athletes. How would you assess your strength and conditioning program at Southridge, and how does it compare against the type of schools you would expect to see deep into the tournament?
Response
We feel like we do a good job in this area. Like most schools our size, we coaches wear a lot of hats and strength and conditioning is one we wear as a group as well and take a lot of pride in and not just in regards to football but across all of our sports. We are fortunate to have tremendous facilities including our weightroom, but we are most proud of the process we have developed with our other coaches in training our athletes in a fashion that helps them improve athletically while also competing in the Fall/Winter/Spring. Much of this starts in the home, most coaches support kids playing multiple sports and we have been fortunate here to have great families who support the same and trust their athletes to our programs. Our best athletes have stayed away from specializing and our programs have benefitted as have the individuals. Most colleges are recruiting competitive kids who love to compete and are well versed athletically which comes through strength training and competing in multiple sports and throughout the year.
 
Question 8
We see a tremendous amount of support on The Gridiron Digest for schools in The PAC and the SIAC, probably more than any other area of the state . Southern Indiana schools travel well to Indy to support their teams in the state finals. How would you assess your support at Southridge, and why do Southern Indiana communities seem to be more invested in their local high school sports teams than in many other parts of the state?
Response
I've been a part of both Southeast and Southwest Indiana and in supportive communities. This area definitely supports its community schools and it sure makes the competition and rivalries tremendous.
The Southridge community/village is tremendous. Our community loves the Raiders and will stand by and sport/program/coach who is working hard, cares for the kids and does their very best to represent the school and community in a positive fashion. We all want to win and we have had a nice run in many sports here and the passion our community has not just for our athletic programs but for the school and arts and any other program in which our kids participate is just tremendous.
 
Question 9
Coming off a terrific 13-1 season where you came one game short of playing for another state championship, what are your expectations for the 2021 season for the Raiders, and do you see any darkhorse candidates looking to make a move in 3A and become a factor in the post season tournament?
Response
We honestly have the same expectation each year and it sounds a little "Coach Talk'ish" but we want to be the best version of us we can be each year. We think if we trust our process, work hard and are great teammates who understand that Raider Football is bigger than any of us as individuals then we are going to improve day to day and get the most out of ourselves. We don't put pressure on ourselves to have to win...that's not our focus but just trying to be our best. We think if we do that, we'll give ourselves an opportunity to win most nights.
Outside of that overall approach, we have a goal of winning the PAC and the Sectional with the Sectional being the ultimate goal for the season. We think with the quality of teams in our area that if we can win our Sectional, we have the opportunity to make a deep tournament run.
 
 
Thanks Coach, and best of luck in the coming fall season.
 
Tim Phillips
Hoosier High School Football
The Gridiron Digest

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5 hours ago, DT said:
Southridge Raiders Head Coach Scott Buening
 
I feel like that specific two year time frame is too restrictive in regards to it being a specific two years and just too small of a sample size. Team A could have the same (or even less) success than Team B but one gets moved up because it was in the specific two year window while the other does not because it split the two year window.
 

Wonder if they are ever going to get over that?

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Class Guy,, always a great interview when I see him opening week...  I root for the Raiders every week but the first!! 

 

5 hours ago, DT said:
The only area that I'm not totally on board with is the specific two year time frame. I feel like that specific two year time frame is too restrictive in regards to it being a specific two years and just too small of a sample size. Team A could have the same (or even less) success than Team B but one gets moved up because it was in the specific two year window while the other does not because it split the two year window.
I feel like the purpose of the Success Factor is to balance out situations where maybe there is an inherent advantage (or disadvantage) that one team may have over others which is why we eventually moved to classed basketball...there were simply Sectionals which every team but one came into it knowing they weren't going to win it without a miracle, so I get it and while I loved the single class system in basketball, I understand why the change was made.
I do think if there is a true advantage, however, that plays out over time where I don't think two years is a big enough sample size and even if we had to keep the four years in a specific four years, I'd feel better about that since it's over a four year span for example than the current two year plan. Other than that, I really don't have an issue with what is trying to be accomplished through the Success Factor and how we are addressing it. There is no one size fits all, and I think most consider it an improvement over our old system.

I couldn't agree more....

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3 minutes ago, Miner_Pride said:

Class Guy,, always a great interview when I see him opening week...  I root for the Raiders every week but the first!! 

 

I couldn't agree more....

Im surprised to hear many coaches use the term "punished" when describing the impact of the Success Factor on future classes.

I see it more as a "consequence" of their extreme success.  

Instead of winning a 1A title and going 15-0, a future class goes 10-3 and loses at the regional in 2A.  Have they really been "punished" for the success of prior classes, or are they playing a stronger set of opponents as a consequence of the great success of their predecessors?  

Punished is a poor term.  

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46 minutes ago, DT said:

Im surprised to hear many coaches use the term "punished" when describing the impact of the Success Factor on future classes.

I see it more as a "consequence" of their extreme success.  

Instead of winning a 1A title and going 15-0, a future class goes 10-3 and loses at the regional in 2A.  Have they really been "punished" for the success of prior classes, or are they playing a stronger set of opponents as a consequence of the great success of their predecessors?  

Punished is a poor term.  

Agree.

If you're a competitor, don't you want to play someone closer to your level rather than running roughshod over lesser opponents year after year?  Once you master one level, time to move up and attempt to master the next.   Frankly, I think it shows winning has been emphasized too much when programs would rather run through a tournament trouncing teams not at your level than even risk a loss against a team that can compete with you.  

That said, I don't think being in 3A has cost Southridge much.  Maybe a 2A sectional in 2019.  But they got a 3A regional in 2020 rather than a 2A regional.  

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6 hours ago, XStar said:

Agree.

If you're a competitor, don't you want to play someone closer to your level rather than running roughshod over lesser opponents year after year?  Once you master one level, time to move up and attempt to master the next.   Frankly, I think it shows winning has been emphasized too much when programs would rather run through a tournament trouncing teams not at your level than even risk a loss against a team that can compete with you.  

That said, I don't think being in 3A has cost Southridge much.  Maybe a 2A sectional in 2019.  But they got a 3A regional in 2020 rather than a 2A regional.  

Coach Ralph at New Pal used the term "punished."

I cant really believe that it is personally more gratifying for him to cruise thru 4a than to have to fight his way thru 5a for a championship.  Coaches have a lot of constituencies and they must satisfy a lot of different people.  They would make good politicians.  LOL   Look at Tommy Tuberville.

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