Pirates Hope to Right the Ship

There are no set goals on win totals or points scored, or anything really tangible. Instead, the goal for the football team is to simply get better every day.

It’s been eight years since St. Charles has had a winning season. Included in that drought was a winless campaign in 2009. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a once-proud program that won a state championship in 1982.

“The main thing that we’re trying to get accomplished this year is learning how to practice and change the atmosphere around the school and the community,” said second-year coach , who went 2-8 in his first season. “We want everyone to know that were doing things the right way and will continue to improve on a day-to-day basis.”

Offense:

Senior Brandon Howard is back and will take over at quarterback for graduate Austin Olendorff, who threw for 1,136 yards last season with six touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Howard is only 5 foot 8 inches tall and 140 pounds, but Leibner called Howard “one of the best natural leaders I’ve ever worked with on any level."

“The way he takes control is exactly what you want from your quarterback,” Leibner said. “He’s always trying to improve, not only himself, but everybody around him.”

Ball security will be a concern this year, but Leibner said one of Howard’s biggest strengths is understanding what the Pirates want to do with their spread-option offense.

Luke Bornhop will handle the running back duties while Hayden Miller will be the top wideout.

Where the Pirates could struggle is up front with an offensive line that is in flux. Leibner said there are “about nine guys trying to fill those five spots.”

“We won’t know who starts against Warrenton until Monday of that week,” Leibner said.

Defense:

Howard was a two-way starter at receiver and cornerback last year and will likely start at corner again this year. Opposite Howard will be Miller with Antonio Smith at safety in the 3-3 stack scheme.

Bornhop and Chris Struckhoff will play outside linebacker while junior Ryan Johnson will be in the middle.

“We want the best, most aggressive players on the field,” Leibner said. “We want guys who can fly to the football. Pursuit is important to us, and we want guys who enjoy forcing turnovers.”

Coach:

Leibner was a graduate assistant at the University of Missouri before taking over at St. Charles. He knows he faces an uphill battle, but remains optimistic.

“You always want to go 14-0 and win a state title, but our main focus is going out and improving every day,” Leibner said. “We’re so focused on us and our self-improvement that we haven’t even talked about those things. I tell the kids if you go out and do what you need to do, day to day, the wins will come.”

Schedule:

The Pirates open at Warrenton, which is the first of two road games on the schedule. The other comes in Week 8 against Duchesne.

Find the complete schedule here.