Blair Oaks playing with an ‘edge’ after 2022 state title win
WARDSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)
The 2023 Blair Oaks football team will look to be the first Falcon squad to ever win back-to-back state championships, after taking down Lamar in 2022's title game. The Falcons return quite a bit of experience from that successful season, which the group feels may be getting overlooked.
Head coach Ted LePage said his team turned the page from the state championship quickly and set their sights on the next goal.
"We've got an incredible edge because I think they feel a little bit discarded. Last year's team was so good, they feel like 'hey, we were a part of that, so we want to show them,'" LePage said. "Our offseason had an incredible amount of anger and I don't mean anger in a bad way. It was like everyday they came in just with a chip on their shoulder. That's pretty remarkable after the season we had."
You can watch the full interview with LePage in the video player below.
LePage added that he and his coaching staff have been working to channel that chip on the team's shoulder into the upcoming season.
"We got to almost tone it down a little bit because they try to get too physical because they want to prove that, 'even though we were sophomores back then, we were still a good defense,'" he said.
Blair Oaks will return 10 starters on defense and come in with some fresh faces on the offensive side of the ball.
"I still think we can go out and compete with the leaders we have out there because we have a big senior class. We have a lot of leadership, so I still think we can go out and perform on the highest level and go for another state championship this year," Falcon defensive end Cole Peters said.
Former Blair Oaks quarterback Dylan Hair was the leader of last season's state title-winning offense, but LePage said they have two capable quarterbacks out there taking snaps in Tyler Bax and Wyatt Meldrum.
Hair had the highest level of success you can find in high school football, achieving the perfect season in his senior year. In that championship game, he threw for 250 yards, ran for 95 yards and scored five total touchdowns. However, Hair also had quite a few weapons around him, many of which will be returning in 2023.
"Dylan was a different guy, but we what we do have is incredible expereince around both of them. We have three starters on the offensive line back, we have two receivers back plus two running backs," LePage said. "Our quarterbacks have really adjusted well. We'd like to see a little bit more sense of urgency with them both, but at the same standpoint I can't complain about where they are at."
The Falcons will fight to go back-to-back in 2023. For now, the summer work continues, but the veterans on the team are putting out one big message to the younger guys: it's a new season.
"We're trying to show them that it just takes more than one day to be out here," Blair Oaks wide receiver and defensive back Nick Closser said. "You just don't come out here and become state champs, it takes every day."
