State of the Program: Lakeland football starting fresh with new leadership
A new head coach will patrol the sidelines for Lakeland football this fall, but it will be a familiar face for fans of Lancers athletics.
Ryan McCarney, the boys basketball coach for the past decade and a football assistant during that time, takes the helm as the 14th head coach in program history.
The key for the coaching staff this year is being in the building. Four other members of the coaching staff also work within the district and all five varsity coaches have prior head coaching experience.
"We're going to be able to build relationships in the building while also keeping an eye on our athletes in terms of grades," McCarney said. "That's been a huge positive for us and it's been a positive start so far."
That response by the team has been felt since McCarney was hired in February. He said there's been great attendance at weight room sessions during the offseason.
"These guys have been working really hard to build their bodies in a way we had hoped," McCarney said. "Once we were able to get out on the field, you can tell that hard work had paid off in their strength and their speed."
McCarney said the Lancers are seeing solid numbers in their program despite the small size of Lakeland compared to other regional schools in the area.
"Right now, we have 21 freshmen, which is light-years ahead of where we have been in the past," McCarney said. "From sophomore to senior, we have 47 kids right now. Lakeland football kind of sets the tone for the athletic year at the school."
The tradition
Football at Lakeland dates back to the school's opening in 1958. The Lancers first reached the playoffs in 1981, when they grabbed the first of their six league titles overall.
Lakeland has 14 playoff appearances in program history, including seven straight from 2007-2013. Lakeland secured sectional titles in 2004 and 2010.
Despite some recent success, the Lancers are still searching to reclaim that glory, seeking a winning season for the first time since 2018, when they went undefeated in the SFC American Red division. Lakeland also hasn't won a playoff game since 2017.
The challenge
Lakeland will have one of the most varied scheduled of any team in the SFC. The Lancers play teams from four different counties in the first four weeks of the season.
"Our schedule is a challenging one," McCarney. "We're all over. We are hopeful that will pay dividends towards the end of the season for us. We have three, if not four, teams on our schedule that can be contenders in their sections this year."
Expectations
A young team returns a great deal of experience with a strong senior class. McCarney noted that the team is having a difficult time naming captains with at six to seven players in consideration.
A lot of that experience comes on the offensive line with seniors Michael Sabric and Cooper Struble.
"They've really set the tone in practice and in the weight room," McCarney said. "They're trying to raise the bar and hold us all to the high standard."
It feels like a new era at Lakeland, right down to the playing surface. The home field is getting new turf with the field currently ripped up and having the new surface installed during the summer.
"It's exciting to see the buzz from the communities," McCarney said. "There's a lot of talk about this football season coming up."
2023 schedule
Aug. 25: at Verona
Sept. 1: at Sparta
Sept. 8: vs. Ramsey
Sept. 15: at Passaic Valley
Sept. 22: vs. West Milford
Sept. 29: vs. Vernon
Oct. 6: at Jefferson
Oct. 13: vs. Westwood
Oct. 20: at High Point
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Lakeland NJ football starting fresh with new coach Ryan McCarney
