‘Dogs looking to
grow in Coleman’s
second year
22 Football Preview 2020
By GIL POUND
GMC Prep head
football coach Lee
Coleman was not
too surprised
by his team’s
3-7 season a
year ago.
It was his
first with the
program after
serving about five
years on the GMC
junior college football
staff, and he really only had
five guys with true varsity
experience. The Bulldogs
opened at 2-1 in their
non-region games but
dropped their last
seven, which kept
them well outside
the playoff picture.
The third victory
was sort of a
phantom
one
as
Hancock
Central, who had
beaten GMC Prep 38-3,
had to forfeit three games due to
fielding a disqualified player. Coleman
believes lessons were learned during his
inaugural year as head of the prep school
program.
“I thought it was a great experience for
me as well as a lot of my kids,” he said.
“I thought they grew exponentially each
week even though we had some tough
battles and tough losses. We all learned
though, so I think that’s going to help
with what’s to come.”
Coleman was encouraged by attendance
at summer workouts and expects
to dress 24 when play begins in September.
GMC Prep was young in terms of experience
last year. This year the team will
be just plain young as less than half the
roster is made up of juniors or seniors.
One positive though is every returning
player saw the field a season ago, including
the guy slated as this year’s starting
quarterback, Tyler Saunders. The sophomore
was one of three trigger men to take
snaps for Coleman in what was an effort
to put the team’s playmakers in position
to make some magic happen. Saunders
looked like a freshman then, but is back
in 2020 and now looks better suited for
the job.
“He put on at least 30 pounds over the
break, and it’s good weight,” Coleman
said. “He got taller, his arm is stronger.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to complete some
passes this year. We were pretty vanilla
last year, so I’m hoping we can incorporate
some passing concepts to keep our
offense on the field. With our quarterback
situation, I think I can get the football to
the outside now.”
Saunders’ main weapon is expected to
be classmate Caleb Bush. Bush was one
of those players who did not get to finish
last season due to injury, in his case,
a broken collarbone sustained against
Greene County. He contributed at running
back and in the defensive
secondary his first year.
His role will continue
on defense but has been
altered on offense.
“He’s been a phenomenal
running back,
but I’ve made him a fulltime
receiver,” said Coleman. “He’s really
improving out there, so I’m impressed
with what he’s doing.”
Coleman is speaking as a guy who
made the switch to receiver himself,
though his journey started as East Hall
High School’s quarterback and ended as
a wideout at Northwestern University.
Like his own quarterback, Bush has done
some growing in the offseason as well,
and will likely look the part of a big-time
receiver by the time his high school career
is done.
Toting the rock is expected to mainly
fall on the shoulders of senior Jackson
Miller. He ended his junior season on