Mount Gilead High School's new head football coach went a bit far afield to find inspiration for this season.
All the way to India, in fact.
"'Be the change,'" coach Mike Reid said. "It is not often one uses a quote from Mahatma Gandhi for football, but it really fits this year.”
Mount Gilead High School’s storied history began as a one-story-frame public school in the early 1870s, on a three-quarters parcel of land along Mount Gilead Road. Its football program also has a long history, with rivalries going back 82 years vs. Cardington, 59 years vs. Highland and 53 years vs. Northmor. However, little can compare with the challenge of the program that faced COVID-19 implications last year, limiting the schedule to four games.
Last year, the Indians were hit with COVID and contact tracing and were only able to play in four contests. In a year in which all KMAC conference teams made the playoffs, they were one of the few schools that did not play a playoff game, also due to COVID.
Making the year even harder, the Indians did not have much positive happen in the four games they did play. They dropped all four, being outscored 137-34 in the process.
The year before that, Mount Gilead won four games but was still outscored by an average of 20 points per game. The last time the Indians had a .500 season was 11 years ago, and the last time they had a winning season was 2004.
So, Reid said, there's a lot of "change" needed.
"We felt this year, using Gandhi's quote, that if each person dedicated themselves to being the positive change they wished to see in this program, and if everybody were to do that, we would set this program in its proper course,” he said. "We want to challenge our kids to get out of their comfort zone and begin a course toward becoming a respectable program. Much like a ship on the high seas, there will be storms and challenges – and battles – but the journey will hopefully end with the arrival at a very attractive destination.”
Reid brings more than Gandhi to the party. He also brings 35 years of coaching experience, though this is his first stint as head coach. He was an assistant coach at Highland beginning in 1994, mostly as a defensive coordinator, and Reid began his varsity experience under legendary Mount Gilead coach Paul “Bear” Bremigan at Ridgedale in 1989.
His coaching philosophy has emerged from the influence of Bremigan, Reid said.
“I run a spread offense, and although Bear Bremigan would probably not favor the spread. (he was an outside belly, full-house ‘T’ guy), I grew up a lot playing for him and coaching with him," he said. "He really taught me a lot about the value of every single kid in the program and how to take care of the people around you – probably the most important traits of being a head coach. He was like a second father. Coaches Chris Kubbs and Jerry Cooper, who went on to win state titles as head coaches at other schools, were incredibly high-IQ assistants, and I learned so much football from them as well as from Coach Bremigan.”
Reid said his offensive philosophy came from what he saw work against him as a defensive coordinator – and that the offense will suit his personnel.
“We do have many variations to our spread offense, but the main idea is to spread the defense out in order to defend various sets," he said. "We chose it for that reason, and because our kids are better suited for this approach – and they are enthusiastic about it. Also, as a defensive coordinator, when teams started getting better in the spread concept, I saw how it put a lot of pressure on us defensively.”
Not that he's opposed to being adjustable.
"You never know. You may see some old-school stuff every now and again,” he said.
On defense, the Indians run a 3-4 (three down linemen and four linebackers) most often, Reid said, as it will give them most flexibility.
“The 3-4 allows us to line up to just about any formation without a complicated rule package," he said. However, Reid added, “there are many effective ways to play defense, and you will see some 4-3 influence in our sets every now and again.”
Reid again cited the coaches with whom he's worked for inspiring his defense.
"It was introduced to me by the coaches I played for: Coaches Bremigan, Kubbs, Cooper, Cris King and John Oyster," he said. "All were great influences on my life as a student/athlete, growing into an adult, and they were a huge influence on my coaching. ... There is a lot of football IQ among those names and a lot of conference titles and four football state titles among those names.”
Reid has eight returning lettermen on offense and eight on defense. He is expecting leadership and skill exhibition from key players.
“Seniors Paul Butterman, Isaiah Fisher and Troy Likens have shown great leadership, as have juniors Carter Kennon, Judah Reid, Garrett George, Owen High, Nick Garvey and Ben Whitt," Reid said. "We expect them to compete on the highest level daily and to draw other players alongside them.”
He sees a strength in the number of students who come out for the squad, their positive energy during two-a-days, their hard work and their dedication to “be the change.” For the year ahead, he is realistic.
“In a program that has only won four games in five years. I think they really do want to ‘be the change,’" he said. "I do think people will be proud of the progress of this program. I do expect that opponents will see a legitimate team on the field against them this year, whatever our record turns out to be. We simply want to begin the journey toward respectability – a program to be proud of.”
