COAL CITY, W.Va. — As Independence began their offseason workouts, veteran head coach John Lilly welcomed back many familiar faces. The Patriots went 5-3 last fall with a very small senior class. Experienced returning starters will occupy most spots on the depth chart in 2021.
“We started ten sophomores and that was way ahead of schedule,” Lilly said. “It was kind of unexpected. We knew we would be talented but we didn’t know if they would be battle tested. Now we have to learn to defang the wolf.”
Overall depth shows up at a number of different positions for the Patriots, notably on the line and outside at wide receiver with Cyrus Goodson, Trey Bowers and Judah Price.
“We’ve got nine of our top ten linemen back. We figure eight of them can play on Friday nights. God blessed us with that part. We’ve got some good skill people back at the wide receiver positions. So I think that will open the door for us to do a few more things than what we did last year.”
6-foot-3 senior quarterback Logan Phalin will be at the controls of the Indy offense.
“He is a businessman,” Lilly said. “He is very serious about what we are doing. He is a perfectionist. He is begging for more film. He is what you want in a quarterback at that position.”
While the passing game has several key pieces returning, the Patriots welcome back one of the state’s elite skill players and all-around athletes. Senior running back Atticus Goodson gained Division I attention after a junior season where he averaged over 200 yards rushing per game and found the end zone 25 times in just 8 games.
“He takes a lot of pressure off of me and our receiving corps,” Phalin said. “Atticus is a great running back. He is the best running back in the state in my opinion.”
“He knows the offense and he knows what we want to do with him on defense,” Lilly said. “And we know what do to with him because he didn’t play much football until he got here. Once we figured out he could be special, of course he has carried the rock. He is bigger and stronger. He is up to 225 (pounds) and hasn’t lost any speed.”
After back-to-back winning seasons, the Patriots have elevated expectations and the hope to bring playoff football to Coal City.
“The team wants to get in the playoffs and of course win a playoff game,” Lilly said. “They haven’t won a playoff game here since 1987. It is something that is on their minds, trying to do that and trying to get a home field advantage. It is the proverbial, ‘take the next step’ in the program and see if we can’t win a playoff game.”
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August 15, 2021 at 09:00PM
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Ahead of schedule in 2020, Independence welcomes back bulk of roster - West Virginia MetroNews
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