When youโre coming off another winless football season, like the Lebanon Cedars are, the first order of business is simply to get off the mat.
And that is what fourth-year head coach Frank Isenberg and his squad are trying to do. Grab one, then build from there. Not much more to it. Actually lends itself to a sort of hyperfocus, a singular task at hand. No talk of schedules or Lancaster-Lebanon Section 2. Just. Win. One.
โThe message for this year is that we have to come together,โ Isenberg said. โWe have to ride through adversity and battle back through it all.โ
Lebanonโs winless skid is at 23 games. The Cedarsโ last victory came at home against Garden Spot, 35-23, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Lebanon returns nine players on offense and eight on defense, so there is a nucleus back on which to build.
Isenberg was encouraged by what he saw when the Cedars faced Mid-Penn conference opponent Boiling Springs in a preseason scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 19.
โWe battled, we competed, our kids were very excited and feeling confident,โ he said. โHeading into this first week, there is definitely a different feeling than in 2022.โ
The Cedars open the season at Alumni, against Palmyra, on Friday night.
In an effort to forge a different path, the Cedars have scrapped the high-tempo, hurry-up Air Raid offense, in favor of huddling. Itโs as much about giving the defense a blow as it is about schematics.
โFor the first time in 16 or 17 years, weโll be huddling,โ Isenberg said. โItโll definitely be something different for our kids. The thing is, with our numbers (42 players listed on the current roster), sometimes theyโre playing so fast, throwing the ball all over the yard, three incompletions, now youโre putting your defense in a hole.
โSchematically, weโre trying for balance. As an old offensive lineman, I love running the football.โ
The Spread attack returns, minus that frenetic tempo.
Juniors Brandyn Castro and Kareem Stoner are battling at the quarterback positon. Stoner is coming off a broken leg suffered in last seasonโs first game. Castro helmed the offense.
โItโs been a battle all camp,โ Isenberg said. โWeโll probably go with a package for each in Week 1. Brandyn is more of a drop-back passer, a big arm. Kareem is more mobile.โ
Derek Infante, Braylon Beaver, Derrick Briddell and Paul Trace return as weapons on offense, at receiver and running back. Aidan Fernandez is listed at tight end.
A beefy offensive line returns Corbett Brickle and Mahkye Cortes at the tackle spots.
โPhysical, strong kids. Weโre pretty big up front,โ Isenberg said. โCorbettโs 6-3, 300. Mahkye is 6-4, around 265.โ
Cayden Clentimack returns from a shoulder injury suffered last year. He tips the scales at 6-5, 325.
The defensive line within Lebanonโs 3-3 scheme is a strength. Brickell is at nose. Josiah Wright, a four-year starter, is back, as is Colin Johnsen.
The linebacking corps will see Fernandez and Kai Rivera return, in rotation, as well as Jack Herr, who was safety last year and moves down, given strong mobility. Freshman Camron Buckmoyer brings speed to the outside.
Briddell, a three-year starter, quarterbacks the defense from the secondary. โA high football IQ, a downhill player,โ Isenberg said.
Infante will man one corner, while newcomer Richie Estevez draws duty at the other corner.
Isenberg was asked about the seasonโs prospects.
โThe simple answer is getting a win,โ he replied. โItโs a clichรฉ, but our goal will be to get better every day. Get 1 percent better every day when youโre out there. And thatโs what I try to look at.
โOur section is what it is. I would argue itโs one of the toughest in the L-L league. But we canโt control any of that and I donโt worry about it. We have to play who we have to play, and weโre gonna do the best that we can.โ
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