2015 U.P. Football Preview: Marquette
MARQUETTE — High school teams across the U.P. continue to prep for the upcoming season and the Marquette Redmen look to keep their playoff streak alive and finally get over the first round hump.
It’s been five straight playoff appearances for Marquette but the last four ended after the first playoff game. High school football is all about player turnover so I asked the coaches and players what’s different about this year’s squad.
“I think we have really good senior leadership this year. It started with our off–season conditioning and weightlifting. They were good with getting their teammates in and making sure everyone was held accountable and they got those guys there. So this year for the start, again the start of the season has been easy because we have great seniors and the juniors have bought into it and the juniors have come along really fast,” head coach David L’Huillier said.
“Big thing we need to do is play how we usually play. Everyone does their job. Everyone plays with intensity and gives it all they got,” said senior quarterback Scott Tripp.
“We’re pretty solid this year. Everyone’s been working their butts off all summer in the weight room, running after practice. I think we’ll be set. Every day, we come out here, we work hard. That’s all we need to do,” senior running back Demetrise Mullen said.
The Redman do pretty well within the conference until they run into the buzzsaw that is Menominee and Coach L’Huillier says if they want to compete with the best, they have to play well on both sides of the ball.
“Biggest thing that we want to improve upon from last year is that we gave up too many big plays on defense so that’s kind of where are focus has been defensively, is again limiting the big plays, making sure we’ve got 11 hats on the ball in the last frame of the picture. Make sure we’re hustling, understand which technique we’re using and again, make sure everyone is hustling to the ball and make sure we have 11 hats around the ball at the end of the picture,” said L’Huillier.
Marquette will be on the road for their opening game on the 28th against Traverse City Saint Francis.