Ludlow Football prepares off-season for the fall
June 7, 2022
As a player on the Ludlow High School football team, I will be going in-depth to show you what it’s like preparing for the upcoming season. I will also be interviewing some of my fellow teammates to see what they are doing to prepare for this season. I will be doing interviews with Keith Swiderski, Mike Sternowski, and Adam Krutka and asking them how they personally prepare for their season.
Meet the Players
I decided to interview my fellow teammates Adam Krutka, Keith Swiderski, and Mike Sternowski. Adam Krutka, my fellow linemen, started at right guard this past season. Adam was one of the big playmakers this past season, When we needed a big run it was behind him. Keith Swiderski played defensive back and linebacker last season. This season he looks like he put on some size for linebacker. Mike Sternowksi had a strange season last year. He started at wide receiver but after a season-ending injury to the quarterback Antonie Emco, Mike had to fill in, not only did he fill in but he made big plays when we needed them.
One thing that really made these guys stand out to me was that they all participated in Track and Field this past spring season which helps football players a ton. Track helps get athletes more explosive and stronger. In the 2019 draft over 60% of the first-round draft picks participated in high school track. It is undeniable that track helps with athleticism.
Team Preparation
Throughout the off-season, the team has been attending weight room and getting coached by the strength coach John Archambeau. Coach Archambeau was brought in to coach the wrestling team and he also took over as the strength coach here at Ludlow. The football team also has a good amount of players on the wrestling team. The team goes three days a week to the weight room. Some of the players on the team also go to the gym on the days there is no weight room.
“We just want to be as strong as possible when the season comes,” said Krutka. We just want to be as strong as possible when the season comes — Junior Adam Krutka
The team is also holding a couple of captains’ practices a week trying to improve their on-field performance. It usually consists of doing footwork drills and explosive running drills. Then they break down by position and work on things as separate units and come together to condition at the end. They also will do some 1-on-1 drills or 7v7 sometimes to have a little bit of fun. The biggest problem all of Ludlow Football is having is recruiting new players so they try having people come to captains’ practices so they can try it there first.
7 on 7 games
Since my freshman year, I’ve been playing in a 7v7 league for Ludlow High School. It usually is over the summer before the season starts. It is basically a football game with less contact and fewer players. It helps the skill players to get back into game situations before the season starts. Playing tight end my freshman and sophomore years definitely made a difference for me.
“It also helps us get a better look at some of the teams we play during the season,” said Sternowski.
“As a lineman, it’s tough because we don’t participate in 7v7 so we have to find other ways to get a live look at some competition,” added Krutka. The lineman usually do 1v1’s against each other so they can get game-like situations.
Season Preview
This season you can expect some big things from the Ludlow Lions football team. They have a good amount of players putting in work this off-season preparing for the fall. They lost a few impactful seniors but the guys that are moving up to start are ready no doubt. The Lions are looking to beat the teams they played close last season and win against the teams they beat last year.
If you want to read more about the upcoming season look for Adam Krutka’s articles coming to the Cub in August.
