GAINESVILLE -- When change is needed, it's evident; what isn't always evident is what exactly that change should be.<br />
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Sitting at 0-5 midway through the 2013 season, Lakeview coach Matthew Gruhn faced that very conundrum. Fortunately for Gruhn and his Lions, he knew the answer.<br />
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With his team averaging just a touchdown per game while giving up 34, he made the switch from being a triple-option-only team to one that allows athletes to be just that.<br />
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"We opened (the offense) up a bit," Gruhn said, "went to the shotgun at the end."<br />
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The result was evident both offensively and defensively as the Lions finished the season winning two of their last four, averaging 24 points per game and giving up just 31 points total (7.75 per game).<br />
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"We're going to throw the ball more this year," Gruhn said, "which might be more fun to watch, I don't know.<br />
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"We got into the mentality (last year) that we're going to take our best athletes, put them here and there and let them run and throw: it's a simply mentality."<br />
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The Lions offense will still be run-based, but not solely as in year's past.<br />
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"We haven't had many four-year guys where we could develop an option quarterback," Gruhn said. "We get a guy that's a junior or senior and we've got to stick him in there... we just needed to simplify the process."<br />
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Jackson Strickland was the engine that ran the team offensively last year, averaging 200 yards rushing his last four games. This year, that task will be given to quarterback David Abee, who played extensively in 2013 as part of the Lions three-quarterback system.<br />
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Charged with protecting Abee will be returning starters on the offensive -- and defensive -- line, Mitchell McIntire, Jack Lipold and Kyle Larson.<br />
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As far as the skill positions integral to making a spread attack work, Gruhn is quick to point out that collectively the Lions have more speed than they've had and points to Tate Turner and Jordan Reed as two young men to watch.<br />
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Defensively, Lakeview will run a 3-4 and rely heavily on middle linebacker Chris Ball to make plays.<br />
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"It's a very simplistic (defense)," Gruhn said, "but our guys play hard and we take pride in how we tackle."<br />
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Also important for the Lions, however -- who are returning to a region schedule for the first time in four years -- is starting strong, if for no other reason than to build momentum and confidence heading into the last five weeks of the season.<br />
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"We've always been a slow-starting team. We don't do as much in the offseason because we've got so many multi-sport athletes," Gruhn said. "We've really finished well the last four or five years, but we're going to need to start strong and finish that way this year because we play the historically top teams in the region the last five games."<br />
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There's an opportunity for Lakeview this season, however, that hasn't been present in the past four years and that's playing for something other than the pride of the Lions.<br />
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"We have the opportunity to do something we've never done before," Gruhn said of a possible playoff position. "In the back of our mind we know the schedule is going to be a tougher, so maybe that has helped us be a little more intense. <br />
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"We're looking forward to it."
