Let’s go finish the job: All-access, behind the scenes with the Lancaster football team

NEWARK — Ask any coach or player and they will tell you the locker room is kind of sacred ground. What goes on in there stays in there.

Before the game, at halftime, and after the game is a time when they are together as one, and people on the outside rarely get a chance to see or hear what happens on the inside, so when I brought up the idea of having all-access to the team during the Golden Gales’ game against rival Newark last week, I wasn’t sure what Lancaster head football coach Bryan Schoonover would say.

Related: Wild night at White Field: Lancaster outlasts rival Newark in a high-scoring affair

It’s a big leap for coaches and the players to let someone in, but he was all for it and said he completely trusted in me, so thank you to Coach Schoonover, the assistant coaches, and the players. They were more than accommodating to me, and it was a great experience.

So, without further ado, here is my view on what I took in during the Gales’ thrilling 55-47 win over their rival Wildcats at White Field.

Before the game

I arrived at the stadium before the players got there. Several of the assistant coaches arrived before the team buses got there and started setting things up in the locker room. Once the bus arrived, coach Schoonover was the first off the bus, and the first thing that stuck out to me was how laser-focused he was.

I usually have small talk with him before games, but there was none of that, not on this night when playing a long-time rival. His face told the story. He was as focused as I have ever seen him.

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The players followed him into the locker room with their equipment bags and began to get dressed for the game. One of the first things they did was set up the largest boom box I have ever seen, and then the music started blaring.

There was a table set up just outside the locker room, and several players began getting tapped up by Lancaster trainer Leigh Spring. Most of the players were just taking in the moment, talking amongst themselves, while some were putting on eye black. One of the assistant coaches started the countdown of when they would take the field. The quarterbacks went out first and eventually were followed by the rest of the team for warmups.

After the captains met at mid-field, the entire team made their way back to the locker room. The one thing that struck me was how loose this group is. They were bouncing around listening to the music and getting in their element. An assistant coach came up to me and said this is a loose group, and they seem to play better when they are loose and not acting so serious.

Coach Schoonover asked an assistant coach how much time was left before they took the field. And then it was time. Schoonover called the whole team together. The players all knelt on one knee and said the Lord’s Prayer. Schoonover then gathered them all together for one final talk. He told them how much this game meant to people, as well as how much they needed to be focused. With that, they took the field.

Halftime adjustments

The first half did not go according to plan. What many people thought would be another lopsided win for the Gales, who had won nine consecutive games over Newark, with many of them being blowouts, was not the case on this night.

The Wildcats came to play and were giving the Gales everything they could handle. At one point in the first half, Newark had a 28-15 lead. Lancaster eventually tied the score at 28-28 late in the first half but watched as Newark drove down for another score to regain the lead in the final minute of the first half. The Gales were able to regain the lead in the final seconds when Gunner Richards returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown to give the Gales a 35-34 halftime lead.

I made sure to get in the locker room before the players and coaches. I was interested to see what kind of adjustments they would make. Schoonover came storming in and was not happy. With his voice raised a few decibel points, he let the team know he was not happy with their first-half performance. And when I say he was not happy, that is putting it mildly.

He gave a spirited speech to them.

This is the gist of what he said to the team, with a raised voice: “That is not who we are. Stop being so soft. You have to give all your effort, all of your energy, all of your focus, all those things … that’s what it is going to require. I don’t care if it is a great play or a negative play, the next play is coming, and we have to get focused in and do the job. Defense, get them off the field and the offense will score. We have to keep grinding. That was a huge play on special teams right before the half. What we can’t do is fall into the trap of getting dumb penalties from a group of guys who are trying to bait you. I don’t want us staring them down and talking (crap). Walk away and go find your teammate, is everybody clear on that?”

The players responded with a yes sir, and Schoonover ended his talk with, “Let’s go finish the job.”

Heck, I was even fired up after that.

It was clear that everyone got the message. With that, the offensive and defensive players gathered with their coaches to go over the adjustments they would make for the second half.

Pulling out a victory

The second half began, and while the Gales continued to have trouble stopping Newark’s offense, they were able to take the lead and then came up with the much-needed defensive stop they needed when Brendon Simcox picked off a pass in the end zone. Lancaster would score a touchdown off the turnover to give it a two-score lead and a little breathing room, and they would need it.

In the end, Lancaster was able to hold on for a victory, and after the game, Schoonover was relieved. He knew the Wildcats would be much better than people thought, but more than anything, he was proud of the way his team responded. They kept fighting like they had all season. With the win, they improved to 5-5, the best regular-season mark since going 6-4 in 2018.

After the players went through the handshake line, they raced over to the student section to sing the fight song, raising their gold helmets in the air at the end of the song.

After doing interviews on the field, I headed back to the locker room, and of course, the music was blaring and there were smiles on the players’ faces. The bus ride back to Lancaster would be an enjoyable one. Make that 10 wins in a row over the Wildcats.

I returned home to write my game story, and around 1:15 a.m., I got a call from coach Schoonover. I wasn’t sure why he would be calling me, and I was hoping I didn’t do anything wrong while in the locker room.

It was just the opposite. He called to apologize for some of the language he used during halftime, and I told him he didn’t have to do that. It wasn’t that bad, and if anything, it was inspiring. I played high school football, so I understand and have heard coaches raise their voices to get their point across.

He asked if I got everything I needed, and said the players and coaches were excited to have me in the locker room, which I appreciated. I fully understand there has to be a trust factor there to allow a reporter into the locker room, so, again, thank you, Coach Schoonover, the assistant coaches, and the players for having faith in me to tell this story.

In my 31 years of covering high school football, it was a first for me to have all-access to a team, and it will go down as one of my most special memories as a reporter. It was awesome.

Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on Twitter @twil2323.

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Let’s go finish the job: Behind the scenes with the Lancaster football team