'We push each other every single day': Lakota West hopes for title run with new QB
Having the high school quarterback be the son of the head coach has been a recipe for success for many a football team over the years.
Lakota West’s football team got a lot of mileage from Mitch Bolden in the last four years. The son of head coach Tom Bolden, Mitch was the starting quarterback for the Firebirds and won a lot of games in West Chester, including 13 last season.
Mitch Bolden is playing football for Army now after throwing for 6,089 yards and 70 touchdowns in his Lakota West career, plus accumulating over 2,000 rushing yards and 29 TDs. The all-state QB led Lakota West to the Division I regionals for three straight seasons, finishing with a 13-1 record in 2023.
Son of the head coach or not, the quarterback position is a big key for any team with big playoff dreams.
Four players have been auditioning for the role this summer. Bolden has been focusing on getting each of them plenty of reps in simulated game situations.
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“We've been doing a lot of situational stuff,” Bolden said. “Backed up to your own goal line, two-minute drills, third and long, you name it. I'm a firm believer that that’s what makes you good: Going against each other. We've been trying to make it as hard on these new quarterbacks as we can.”
Bolden doesn’t expect all the QB questions to be answered right away but hopes to have solid answers late in the season and in the playoffs.
“Replacing your starter is always tough,” Bolden said. “There are days when they all do something really well, and then they'll do something really bad. So we're still looking for some consistency from them. The biggest thing they need to understand is I don't want them to lose it for us. I want them to try to make plays, but we’re really good defensively and I think we’re going to be really good by the end of the year.”
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Lakota West can boast several Division I prospects
Lakota West has Division I-level talent spread all across its position groups.
Senior Brennan Remy is a key returning target. The receiver had 46 catches for 665 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. He was also a dangerous kick returner on his way to honorable mention all-state honors. He has committed to Southeast Missouri
Junior Trey Barnette joins the team from Dixie Heights after having an outstanding 2022 season as one of Northern Kentucky’s top receivers. He had 47 catches for 616 yards and five TDs last year.
Junior Luka Gilbert, a 6-foot-7 tight end, will likely be a bigger part of the offense. He has several Power-5 DI offers.
“It’s tough because Mitch was a four-year starter and a leader, everything you could ask for in a quarterback,” Remy said. “But we got really good quarterbacks and they're battling, so I like it. They're all competing. We're all competing for spots. We have lots of weapons and I think this is the most loaded receiving corps we've ever had.”
Seniors Eudes Gonzales and Jiovionni Wilson each had about 500 yards total offense last season at running back and combined for 12 touchdowns.
The offensive line is talented but green and lost a potential starter to a torn ACL.
“We’re all new up front offensively,” Bolden said. “It's a young group. I do believe they're a talented group. They're just working through that inexperience part.”
A plus for the Firebirds is they have one of the toughest defenses in the state to score on. Lakota West has DI prospects all across the field on that side of the ball.
The Firebirds allowed 10 points per game last year, half of them in two games, a 38-31 win over Fairfield and a 38-20 season-ending loss to Moeller. Lakota West allowed a touchdown or fewer in 10 of its 14 games.
Defense will continue to be strong at Lakota West
“I’ve been an offensive coach, but I'm a firm believer that you got to have great defense,” said Bolden, a former star quarterback at Colerain High School in the late 1980s. “I think the way that the offenses are set up and all that you can scheme and figure out ways to score and stuff like that, you have to limit possessions. You got to create turnovers and limit their points.”
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Senior Taebron Bennie-Powell, a Notre Dame commit, starts at safety. Seniors Drew Minich and Bukari Miles return in the secondary. Minich has several DI offers and was second-team all-league.
Senior Elijah Davis anchors the defensive line and was third on the team in tackles last season. He had 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. He has committed to Akron. He loves the way his teammates play on defense.
“They’ve got a lot of talent,” Davis said. “They just make plays. That's what I love about them and we just work hard and we try to be the best on the field.”
Senior linebacker Jacob Asbeck was named second-team all-state after posting 74 tackles, 15 for loss with 10 sacks. He has committed to Navy.
“We push each other every single day,” he said. “Offense, defense, we’re out there getting chippy. It's high-intensity and we push each other to get better every day. It ultimately benefits us in the long run.”
Micah Markley, who had 70 tackles, also returns among a host of talented veterans.
While they’re practicing to shut down opposing offense, they’re also preparing the new QBs for the season.
“I tell them you're going to get better because you're going against one of the best defenses you'll see all year,” Bolden said. “So you’re going to get better. They’re seeing a really fast defense, which will help out whoever wins the job in the long run.”
Bolden is getting his team ready with a tough early slate. Lakota West scrimmages Elder on Friday then Winton Woods next week. The Firebirds start the season Aug. 18 by playing St. Xavier in their only non-league game.
Lakota West is a three-time defending league champion in the Greater Miami Conference and has won 23 straight league games dating back to the 2019 season.
That streak will be tested early when the Firebirds host third-place Princeton (9-3, 7-2) and play at fourth-place Fairfield (7-4, 6-3).
“Every game, we’re going to get everybody's best,” Davis said. “We love that. I wouldn't want to have it any other way.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2023 Lakota West football hopes for another title run with new QB
