Football: Lafayette Jefferson team preview

By Eric Eaton
Hoosier Crossroads Conference Content Coordinator

The 2008 Lafayette Jefferson football season brings a return of a very familiar face back to the program in new head coach Andy Kennedy.

Kennedy, who graduated from Jeff in 1992 and has spent a number of years as an assistant coach for the team, has been given the keys to lead a program that has averaged over seven wins a season for the past 11 years.

Last season Kennedy coached the 1A Lafayette Central Catholic Knights to a 9-1 record. But, when Blaine Bennett decided to leave his post as head coach of the Bronchos during the offseason to become a college coach, Kennedy was the man the Jeff administration turned to.

As expected, Kennedy said yes to the offer and made the short one-mile journey back to Lafayette Jeff, a school for which he has many football ties.

In fact, Kennedy has been a part of three of the five football sectional titles that the school has won. He played on two Lafayette Jeff sectional championship teams in 1989 and 1991 for head coach Bob Downing, and then was an assistant coach under Fred Kutruff when Jeff one its last football sectional title in 2002.

On the field, Lafayette Jefferson football fans have grown accustomed to watching the team’s spread offense score lots and lots of points during the past decade.

Thus, the main question that I’m sure many fans are asking as the 2008 season gets underway is whether or not Kennedy is going to keep the spread offense.

Well the answer is yes! However, the Bronchos don’t have much experience at the quarterback position, which as everyone knows is the catalyst to the spread offense.

Timmy Fogarty, who did such a nice job of running the team’s offense the past three seasons, has graduated, and is playing collegiately at Dayton.

In 2008, the Bronchos starting quarterback will likely be one of two players, senior Brycen Hamilton or sophomore Colin Bultinek.

Hamilton saw significant playing time last season filling in for Fogarty, who suffered a season ending injury during the seventh week of the season.

However, the team went 0-4 to end the year without Fogarty.

The Bronchos open up their 2008 season on Saturday, August 23 at the brand new Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis against the Zionsville Eagles for a 4:30 P.M. kickoff.

Here’s a capsule look at the 2008 Lafayette Jefferson Bronchos
Coach: Andy Kennedy (first season at Lafayette Jeff, 2nd year overall)
2007 Record: 5-5, 5-4 HCC (5th place)
2007 State Tournament: 0-1, lost to Harrison (West Lafayette) 49-28 in the opening round of 5A Sectional #4
Key graduation losses:
Timmy Fogarty-QB (Dayton)
Blaine Koger-WR/DB
DeAndre Robinson-WR
Corry Perrin-DB
Offensive returning starters: 9
Defensive returning starters: 5
Top Players:
RB-Desmond Lake (SR) 5’8”, 150 lbs. (516 yards rushing and 7 TD’s last season)
WR-Ryan Campbell (SR) 5’8”, 150 lbs. (294 yards receiving and 3 TD’s last season)
WR-Mike Sewell (SR) 6’0”, 180 lbs. (282 yards receiving and 2 TD’s in ’07)
QB-Brycen Hamilton (SR) 5’10”, 180 lbs.
QB-Colin Bultinek (SO) 6’0”. 154 lbs.
OL-Shane Wyant (SR) 6’4”, 270 lbs.
OL-Doug Shaw (SR) 6’3”, 255 lbs.
OL-Will Speakman (SR) 6’1”, 245 lbs.
OL-Alonzo Huizer (SR) 5’10”, 220 lbs.
OL-Taylor Fogarty (SR) 6’0”, 210 lbs.
CB-Steven Edmundson (SR) 6’0”, 165 lbs. (2 INT’s last season)
SS-Drew Koning (SR) 6’1”, 190 lbs
LB-Nick Vaughan (SR) 6’0”, 195 lbs. (2 INT’s in ’07)
LB-Lance Shoemaker (SR) 5’10”, 180 lbs.
DE-Jordan Phillips (SR) 6’0”, 185 lbs.
2008 Outlook: “We are going to be successful if the seniors step up and lead by example through their work ethic and dedication to learning a new offensive and defensive scheme over the summer.” – Lafayette Jefferson coach Andy Kennedy
Schedule: Click here to view the Bronchos 2008 schedule