SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Sacred Heart-Griffin football is preparing for its week one matchup against Lincoln-Way Central.
The Cyclones' 2025 campaign came to an end in overtime in the state quarterfinal.
A morning thunderstorm pushed practice indoors, but head coach John Allison said the team was still able to use the time to their advantage.
"At least it's one of our non-padded days that we're inside and can do walk-throughs and get mental reps, so we can still get things done as long as people stay focused," Allison said.
One area Allison said has improved heading into the season is depth along the offensive and defensive lines.
"We have been really thin up front the last few years, as much to the point where we lost a player mid-summer and had to pull a tight end and make him starting guard," Allison said. "That's what really limits your playbook ability because you've got a kid that basically has to learn two different positions. So, to have depth enough to not have to do that has been really helpful this summer."
Senior outside linebacker and tight end Jimmy Giacomini said last season's quarterfinal exit is driving the team this year.
"There's a lot of motivation towards that. It just gives us another thing to go out and get from everyone else," Giacomini said.
Senior quarterback Cam Brinkman said the team is focused on the week-to-week process rather than looking ahead.
"We want to take the season one game at a time. We don't want to look ahead in the schedule or anything. We got to go 1-0 every week. We'll get to the games later in the season and we'll use that more as motivation as we go on," Brinkman said.
With Lincoln-Way Central visiting in one week, Allison said the urgency is real.
"I told them, 'Hey, you don't have as much time as you think you do.' I mean, we're in crunch time and we got to be ready to go," Allison said.
Giacomini acknowledged the team still has work to do before the opener.
"There's still a lot of little mistakes that need to be fixed, but in these next few practices we should be able to get those right," Giacomini said.
Brinkman said it's important to get off to a fast start, even with a tough early schedule.
"Two good teams right off the bat this season. It's going to be really important for us to dial in on those games, focus really hard, and try to come out with two wins," Brinkman said.
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