Archive: Sports

This year heralds some key changes in Lansing's Athletic program.  One of those changes is the new varsity football coach.  Bob Brantner will be following in Ed Redmond's shoes  as coach this year.  With past successes under Redmond, Brantner is looking forward to the challenge of continuing that success.  "It isn't often that a coach will leave a very successful program with a very successful team," he says.  "I am happy to try to meet that challenge, but it will be a challenge."

Brantner played center on his high school football team in Durand, Wisconsin under Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer Pete Adler.  After graduating he helped scout for the team for a few years.  He got both a teaching degree and an athletic coaching degree from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls.  "I had a great coaching experience there," he recalls.  "It was a very hands-on coaching experience."

He fulfilled a student coaching requirement at Spring Valley Middle School, helping to coach the 7th and 8th grade football teams.  "Those kids were very talented," he says.  "We did well.  I don't think we lost a game that season.  The last thing I said to them before I left the team was, 'If you guys stick together you will win a state title some day.'  And they went on and won two state titles!"

Brantner migrated to Cayuga, New York, and became the modified football coach at Union Springs.  He built participation from about 20 to 55 players over four years there.  While there he ran the test accommodations department for a year, and then began teaching history, coaching football and softball, and helping with baseball, and running the weight room.  He also participated in coaching a pre-season camp.  Last year he coached the modified football team here in Lansing.


With Junior Varsity a victim of budget cuts this year, modified players will step up directly to the Varsity team.  Brantner says that the same was true in Union Springs, so he is prepared for dealing with the challenges that will pose.  "A lot of the sophomores are not as mature as a junior or a senior may be," he says.  "It makes it harder for them to get on the field.  They are going to have to help a lot in practice and we'll continue their development.  I'm looking forward to working with them."

Brantner says he would like to help out with Recreation Department youth football camps.  "I think it's important to have continuity between the programs so we're all working toward the same goals," he says.

Last year's team made it through the Sectionals, losing the critical game that would have sent them to State to Unatego.  "They made it that far two years in a row," Brantner says.  "Its a good team.  We've got some good young kids coming up, and while we don't have the numbers in the senior class I think we'll have some good leadership and skills."

27 players have signed up for varsity football so far this year.  Six are seniors and the rest are divided between juniors and sophomores.  Last week was the first team meeting, where Brantner and assistant coach Tom Policay laid out their philosophy of playing.

Brantner says that as he evaluates players he looks at the character of his players first and foremost.  He looks at coachability and commitment to hard work, strength, awareness, intelligence, durability, toughness and competitiveness, quickness and overall talent.  He says he encourages the older players to mentor the younger ones.  "Team building is very important," he says.  "I stress teamwork.  We're going to have a lot of tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders on the team.  They're going to have to work together."

Brantner says that high school football should be a more protected environment than college or pro football, where kids can make mistakes and learn from them.  "You try to make sure they are in a position they can be successful at, and try to make sure your philosophy of offense and defence fits the personnel that you have, too.  But fumbles happen.  Interceptions happen."

He is excited about the prospect of a successful year with the team.  "I'm excited about it all," he says.  "I thrive on everything related to football, but I enjoy the Friday night lights.  It's exciting to be out there under the lights playing football.  When you get a chance to play your best there is excitement in that.  To me high school football is more of a pure sport than college or pro football.  It gets down to the culmination of all your hard work and you put it on the field, you hope that you're competitive and you play hard."

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