When Mark Fischer returned to Louisa County last year and restored the Midnight Madness event that was a staple of his first tenure at the school, it had an interesting vibe. For those who’d been around the program for so long, it was a time warp. For the athletes though, it was their introduction to the new coach.
“Coming into last year we were just getting to know Coach Fischer, how he was,” said senior Jayvon Jackson. “Now the expectations are very high. We know what he is. He knows what we are. We know how he wants things done. It’s way different.”
Fischer guided Louisa County to a 7-4 record last year, a vast improvement from the 3-7 campaign in 2013. And the fact that he coached while under going an aggressive cancer treatment, suffice it to say, was nothing short of inspiring. Now as the 2015 campaign begins, Fischer’s second bout with cancer is going as well as could be hoped as it’s once again in remission. As such, his concern now is about football. His players concerns are football. It’s midnight on July 30, and the only thing that matters is football.
“I’m just making sure I live my life,” Fischer said. “And I’ve still got some (health care) responsibilities, but I don’t want it to be a distraction. We don’t talk about (the cancer), bring it up. It’s in the past. These kids shouldn’t have to deal with that, and now they don’t.”
And so with that, the first steps of the second Fischer era are over. As Jackson put it, Fischer’s players know what he expects as a coach. The same is true on the other side, Fischer knows what he has in terms of talent and personalities in his program.
“We talked about it — that last year they got to know me, now they know what I expect,” Fischer said. “If you’re content with 7-4, you need to go home, that wasn’t good enough. So it’s a different mentality, different drive. We’ve got a little more focus.”
For so many programs that are beginning camp this week and next, the story early on is simply trying get a barometer for what type of team you can field. At Louisa, the process is no different. The Lions are looking to build upon their success, but the loss of a pair of senior linemen, the team’s top two rushers and most notably, quarterback/cornerback Trey Cherry’s presence, this is definitely going to be a different looking team.
“I don’t think we’ve come up yet with what our strengths are, our weaknesses are,” Fischer said. “We’re in that developmental stage right now where I just don’t know (what kind of team we will be). I know what I expect, that we should be good upfront. We’ve got a senior laden offensive and defensive line. We’ve got young backs on both sides. I don’t know who’s going to step up right now. This is a curious team.”
And so the puzzle solving begins. At 1:30 a.m. the Lions conclude their practice. It’s a short event, but one that always gives a buzz to the Louisa faithful that comes out and attends. Former athletic directors Doug Straley and Lee Downey, both instrumental in the football program’s success during Fischer’s first stint, watch and chat with the all the rest of the Louisa staff and fans. It’s something the players pick up on, and enjoy themselves. They enjoy focal point.
“It’s kind of a celebration,” Jackson said. “It’s like a holiday. We love to do this.”
With that said, the excitement the fans have is a little different than the players and coaches. For the fans, it’s finally football season, the wait is almost over. For the coaches and players, this is football season and that means that the work has just begun. That was the sentiment last year, but it’s a little different this go-around.
“Honestly, we’re a totally different team than last year,” Jackson said. “But that’s a good thing. I think we were kind of scared of coach Fischer (last year). Now we’re comfortable, but we also know it is now time for business.”
And as of midnight late in July, once again, Louisa football is open for business.
