HHF / GID Interview with Carmel High School Head Coach John Hebert

[Guest DT]

HHF Interview with Carmel High School Head Coach John Hebert

 

The Greyhounds reload for another run at the 6A title, and in the process, develop dozens of players who move on to play at the next level.

 

Hello Coach Hebert and thanks for joining us at Hoosier High School Football and The Gridiron Digest

 

Question 1

Carmel has continued to experience explosive growth over the past 10 to 15 years. Growth in overall enrollment, growth in football numbers, growth in facilities, and certainly continued growth and interest in Carmel football. As you enter the 2021 season, how would you assess the overall, state of your program in terms of numbers and depth, skill level, strength and speed development, and the ability of your players to execute the offensive and defensive schemes and philosophies employed by you and your staff

Response

We had a great offseason, starting in December and carrying all the way to the summer. Our team concept has grown stronger throughout that time. Where we are right now is a result of our experiences over the past three years. In 2018 we were the 6A runner up, followed by a 6A title in 2019, and a Sectional 5 championship in 2020. Over that time we have had over 40 guys that are currently playing college football from NAIA/D3 to the Power 5. The team we have now is a group of guys that have a solid foundation and an understanding of our values and standards. What the 2021 team becomes, however, will be up to them. Those players that played in the past are no longer here. As far as schemes are concerned, we have to continue to evaluate what gives our current team the best opportunity to have success. This years team will not be able to run the same things we have the past three years. We have learned that much so far.

 

Question 2

What was your primary focus with your kids this summer, how did your team fare in 7 on 7 and other inter squad competitions, and what do you see as the clear strengths and potential weaknesses of your team coming out of summer camp?

Response

We don’t scrimmage with other teams over the summer for a variety of reasons. This year’s team has a large number of multisport athletes so the summer practices are often opportunities to develop depth in the absence of key guys. Based on when all of the guys were there, which was very seldom, I think we can become solid in each phase of the game. If healthy, I don’t see any dropoff from our expectations at any position. Depth at each position, however, is the key to success in the MIC. We are in constant pursuit of developing the next guy or two at each position. Generally speaking, we appear to have strengths on both the offensive and defensive lines in terms of depth. I think we have more depth at QB than I remember ever having. Zach Osborne is our returning starter and proven winner, but I think we have three other guys there that really know how to play. We have a very strong secondary and 2-3 great playmakers at WR. Our linebacking corps has also been an area of strength even though most of them have no varsity experience. We’ve been banged up at many spots in July and August so we are hoping these strengths materialize in early games.

 

Question 3

Carmel has been blessed with several big , physical teams over the years that will dominate and challenge opponents at the line of scrimmage. Will that trend continue into 2021 and who are some of your big guys in the trenches who you will be counting on this fall?

Response

Our offensive line has two guys with starting experience from 2020, both at OT, 6’4 280 Eric Keffer and 6’2 275 Jack Stark. Ethan Trent is 6’2 270 and can play all 5 positions, but is likely to be our OC. Ryan Pauley is a 6’1 280 OG. Those 4 guys have been very consistent this summer. We have 3-4 others that are in the competition to start; Nathan Pham, Ben Jeffery, Ken Bruntlett, and Cooper Tilson.

Defensively, we have 6-8 guys that could end up playing in our 3-4 scheme. Hayden Cate, a 6’1 225 DE, Evan Brehl, 6’3 235 DT, Chase Becker, 6’4 225 DE, Brody Frey, 6’2 230 DL, and Mason Bardwell, 6’1 200 DE have really stood out. Artie Bryant, Beau Willman, and Vincent Neal have shown a lot of potential as well.

 

Question 4

The MIC will surely once again be a meat grinder in 2021. Center Grove has stepped up and taken a front and center leadership roll in the conference, as the Trojans are heavily favored to repeat as conference and 6A state champs. It wasnt long ago that Ben Davis and Warren dominated the conference, but public perception indicates that Carmel and CG are now the two top dogs in the league. What is your assessment of The MIC heading into this season, and do you see any others who might be ready to make a move up the ladder in the conference standings?

Response

Center Grove deserves all of the attention they are getting. They were outstanding last season and appear to be headed for another great season. They pose so many challenges from a personnel and game plan standpoint. I love playing them because it forces you to be at your best in every way in order to have a chance to win. I really think the strength of the MIC is in the way every team gets so much better over the course of the season. I can’t look at any team on our schedule and conclude that it should be a win. You can play a MIC team in week 1 or 2 and potentially beat them, but beating them in week 10 or 11 is another story. The talent and the excellent coaching staffs are so evident at each school. I’m excited to see who emerges this season and won’t be surprised by anyone.

 

Question 5

The Success Factor was put into place to improve overall competitive balance in high school football and the postseason state tournament. While not directly impacted, what are your thoughts on the SF relative to it accomplishing its original objective of maintaining competitive balance, , and would you like to see any changes to either the Success Factor itself, or the setup of the state tournament?

Response

I think it is tough for 5A schools to play in 6A. We played Valparaiso in the 2018 semistate and barely beat them so I know that they, Cathedral, New Palestine, Columbus East, Zionsville, etc are elite programs. I just think it is not a great reward to move a team up after having success, especially when it is most often senior driven. That’s just my opinion.

 

Question 6

We have spoken with several coaches around the state about the growing impact of strength and conditioning programs on high school football in Indiana. How would you assess your program at Carmel, has the school made the investments in dedicated coaching and equipment, and do you feel this is an area where you can continue to widen the gap between yourselves and the other top schools in Indianapolis?

Response

Aaron Bosket is our strength coach at Carmel. I don’t hesitate to credit him with being an irreplaceable component to what we have accomplished in the past 15 years since he assumed this role. That being said, there isn’t a school in the MIC or HCC that we have played that hasn’t displayed the same traits in terms of strength and speed. In my opinion, this is one of a handful of factors that has really elevated the level of play in the Indianapolis area in relation to the rest of the country.

 

Question 7

What would you say is the core identity of the football program at Carmel High School today? What will be your primary offensive and defensive schemes in 2021, and are you making any changes due to returning personnel, and who are some of your top skill kids coming back this fall?

Response

We are making changes, maybe more than in the past several years. The game is increasingly being played on the perimeter. We’ve studied hard with college staffs in this area to try to find ways to combat the many challenges our opponents pose. I hope our identity remains to be a team that plays with confidence and unity.

 

Question 8

Indiana is starting to produce more high end talent based on the national recruiting service rankings and recent scholarship signings at Power 5 schools by in state players. We are starting to see 5 to 8 or more Four Star players annually moving on to the next level from Indiana high schools, while the state used to produce barely one or two 4 star players per class. You are at ground zero in Indy where there is an abundance of talent. What would you attribute this growing talent level to based on what you see in summer competition and then in the fall on game days?

Response

Football in Central Indiana is a top priority at so many schools. We are developing kids in our programs through hard work and great attention toward improvement. I truly believe, like most coaches in our area, that we are being under-recruited. Schools like Indiana, Purdue, Ball State, Cincinnati, and Miami are routinely signing numerous kids from our area and all are winning a lot of football games. We also have a D2 program in Indianapolis that makes the playoffs almost every year and 2 NAIA programs in the top 5 nationally in most years that have rosters full of Central Indiana players. This is an underrated hotbed of football recruiting.

 

Question 9

How does this 2021 team compare to some of your better Carmel teams of the past, and what are your goals and expectations for this group as you finish out the summer program and look ahead to another season?

Response

I really don’t know, which is exciting to me. We have an excellent coaching staff and kids that are working very hard. I’m just excited to go through the battles with them playing the toughest schedule in Carmel football history. We play Louisville Trinity, Detroit Martin Luther King, and Center Grove in weeks 1-3. Then we play Pike, Lawrence North, North Central, Ben Davis, Warren Central, and Lawrence Central. We could lose all 9 games and still be a top ten team. I just want our players to live in the moment and love the fight. Being a high school football player is such a special time in a young man’s life.

 

Thanks Coach and best of luck in the coming season.

Tim Phillips

Hoosier High School Football on Facebook

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by DT

[southend]

Man it gets tougher at all he top. And his concerns with getting ready for a new season, working with college coaches to help shore up his defensive schemes. A real contrast from some of the other coaches we’ve been hearing from. They may have something for “The Grove” this year.  
Also , again, the success factor. So far every coach has at least one negative comment. But one tweak I will toss out there I think would really be far reaching is, no schools can be bumped up to 6a.