The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Lake Erie looks to improve in 2018
The Storm went 2-8 last season after a winless campaign in 2016. Lake Erie is eager to build on the experience it gained in winning two contests. Mark Podolski previews this year’s team.
In one way, Jerry Hazzard might have felt like Browns coach Hue Jackson at the start of last season.
As a first-year head coach for Lake Erie in 2017, Hazzard was in charge of trying to move past an 0-11 mark the previous season — the same as Jackson now is trying to get the Browns to forget about 0-16 in 2017.
As it would be with any coach in that situation, a win — no matter the way it’s attained — is the best step in a rebuilding project.
The Storm got that first win Sept. 30, 2017 at Alderson Broaddus, 16-15, by rallying from a 15-3 fourth-quarter deficit.
“It’s something I’m sure they won’t forget, and something I definitely won’t forget,” Hazzard said after that win.
LEC managed another win later in the season, a 4527 victory at Kentucky Wesleyan, during its 2-8 campaign.
The Storm was young last season, and Hazzard said they will be young again in 2018. They got a taste of a few victories, and now the next step is simple.
“I’m preaching to these guys day in and day out we need to win,” Hazzard said Aug. 9 after a practice at Jack Britt Stadium in Painesville. “What we’re focused on are the day-to-day things you have to do to win. On the field, and off the field, and putting that all together.”
For a young team, a fast start to the season can be a huge boost. It’s helpful LEC starts the season at home against Edinboro on Sept. 1. From there, though, are three straight road games at Malone, Urbana and Hillsdale, so that will be a test.
“I think we can make more improvements this year,” said Hazzard. “It’s right there for us.”
A good start is at quarterback, where Javarian Smith, a junior from Pontiac, Mich., returns and will be the starter in 2018. He threw for 557 yards and three touchdowns while sharing time with James Moore last season.
“Javarian knows the offense extremely well, so he’s going to do a great job running it,” said Hazzard. “We also have some young QBs who are very talented, and it will be nice to develop them without having to play them early on.”
Included in that group is sophomore Cameron Searight, who starred at West Geauga before transferring to Cleveland Heights.
The Storm’s roster was loaded with freshman and sophomore in 2017, so there’s still plenty of youth throughout the roster, but Hazzard said the groundwork that was put in place under his watch — as simple as it might seem to an outsider looking in — is already paying off early in camp.
“The biggest growth is that we’re really starting to learn how to practice, and how to prepare,” said the LEC coach. “The guys have really started to buy into that. And the returners we do have have taken on a much better leadership role to where they’re passing that on to the young guys.”
It starts Sept. 1 against Edinboro at home.
“It would be huge,” said Hazzard about what a season-opening win would do for his team’s psyche. “We go out and get a win, then the belief factor we’re preaching just multiplies, and builds from there. But no matter what we do with wins and losses, we think we’re heading in the right direction because our culture is in great shape.”
To get success early, LEC needs its talent that was young a year ago, but now upperclassmen, to deliver. One player in particular is junior Jason Blizzard of Mentor. The 5-foot-7, 170-pounder receiver will be featured mostly in the slot this fall.
“We’re expecting him to make some plays for sure,” said Hazzard. “He should play a ton.”