Offense has never been a problem for LaPorte.
The Slicers have been challenged defensively.
Last year, they gave up more than 30 points in five of their 11 games. That included a 38-10 loss to Michigan City in a Class 5A sectional championship game that ended a 7-4 season.
That has prompted an adjustment in philosophy for LaPorte coach Dave Sharpe. He is stacking the defense.
Noah Perez, a senior linebacker who was the team MVP after finishing with 117 tackles last season, is happy to have the help.
“He has put a lot of the best athletes on defense,” Perez said of Sharpe. “Now we are just working on technique.”
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Said Sharpe: “We would like to change the identity of our program. We want to be able to perform better on defense. We still want the offense to be clicking.”
Two players who will move to defense to help the 5-foot-10, 186-pound Perez are running backs Gabe Chavez, a 6-foot senior, and Isaac Alexander, a 5-9 junior. Both will be in the defensive backfield.
Alexander rushed for 606 yards and five touchdowns last season. Both will still play some offense.
Sharpe believes it’s worth a try to shake up the Slicers’ style.
“We want to make an effort to have some impact guys back there,” he said.
Other experienced layers include sophomore linebacker Landen Cerrillos (54 tackles) and junior linebackers Zach Purnell, Matt Neff and Austin Buda. Jayden Domogola, a senior linebacker, also returns.
Senior Kaleek Biggers, a 5-10, 235-pound defensive lineman, is back. He had two sacks and 41 tackles.
Hunter Ferguson, another senior lineman who had 26 tackles, also returns. Junior Parker Hill is back in the secondary.
He is also a wrestler and he made it to semistate as a sophomore in the 170-pound weight class.
“He’s really quick and he’s a funny guy,” Sharpe said. “He likes to laugh. He’s what we are trying to do with our football program. We want wrestling and football to be synced. He’s the ideal linebacker for our team. He calls the plays and the kids just love him. It’s like having an assistant coach on the field.”
Offensively, the Slicers lost quarterback Nolan Lorenz. He accounted for more than 1,200 yards running and passing
Senior offensive linemen Brandon Seibert (6-3, 310), a junior all-state selection, returns as does Caleb Kuzdas, a 5-5 senior running back who rushed for 507 yards.
Caleb Kirkham, a senior who was the junior varsity quarterback last season, will be the starting quarterback.
Sharpe called him a “very talented kid” who will be a team captain.
So far, it’s been good, Perez said.
“We are looking solid,” he said. “My teammates have surprised me with all the hard work they have put in.”