Younis To Coach Against Former Team
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
When the Trojans meet the Churubsuco Eagles Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Churubusco, Younis will be returning to the site of his high school graduation and a place he served as an assistant coach from 1997 to 2002.[[In-content Ad]]"This is all about the kids," Younis said. "It has nothing to do with me. It's all about Triton playing Churubusco. Both teams are riding a wave of emotion. We just won our first sectional, and I remember the last time Churubusco won a sectional, because I was playing."
Younis was a junior defensive back and wing back for the Eagles back in 1988, the team's last sectional title. That title occurred in Class 2A, a division Churubusco played in until moving down to Class 1A this year. As a Class 1A team, the Eagles sport a 10-2 record coming into the regional game, averaging 36 points a game, allowing just 13.
"They are an extremely good team," Younis said of the Eagles. "Coach (Lee) Etzler has done a great job. He has a great repetoire with the players and they've bought into the whole program."
Etzler came to Churubusco after the departure of Dan Snyder, the current coach at Southwood. After serving as an assistant for six years under Snyder, Younis decided to leave Churubusco once Etzler was hired, but Younis says he's happy with the outcome.
"I had applied for (the position), but I wasn't ready for it," Younis said. "But right now, I'm in a situation I'm totally happy with. If I had to go back to that time, I'd much rather be here."
Younis can thank former Triton assistant basketball coach Jamie Perlich with his current situation. Perlich talked to Younis about the Triton job after he came to Churubusco as the school's head coach.
"He spoke so highly of Triton, so I said I'd apply," Younis said.
But before applying, the 1990 Churubusco graduate first had to get out a map.
"I'd never even heard of Triton," he said. "Looked at a map and saw it wasn't too far, and it worked out for me."
After getting the Triton job, Younis quickly saw he was going to have to put a lot of work in.
"I had years of coaching experience, but not as a head coach," he said. "When I got here, we had 24 players on the team that first year. I stayed as positive as possible with them, and the kids began buying into it. The following year, we had 36 kids and 42 coming out in my third year. So each year, we gradually increased, with over 50 coming out last year. This year, we're back to 47, but for a 1A program, that's great for numbers."
Bringing in players is one thing. Teaching them to win is quite another. In the four seasons prior to Younis' arrival, Triton had gone 5-35.
"Losing is contagious," Younis said. "You can get into a rut easy, and you can tend to stay there. To change an attitude, a losing attitude, is a hard task. That was a little hard for two years, but then kids began to believe."
That belief resulted in the school's first-ever sectional crown last Friday in Bourbon with a 36-21 victory over South Newton. In that win, the community was also able to change their menatlity.
"The community doesn't see practice," Younis said. "They only know you're not winning, and not seeing the progress being made.
"Friday was amazing, and exactly what high school football should be," the coach added. "The student section was as loud as I've ever heard them. I was proud of our players, but also the student body, too."
Against Churubusco, the Trojans won't have that home field advantage. But for a team that's run for 2,857 yards this season, while surrendering just 1,944, that rushing attack may be able to quiet the Eagle faithful.
"Right now, nobody has an advantage, in terms of momentum," Younis said. "All the remaining teams are on at least a three-game winning streak. All the teams are feeling really good about themselves. Our kids are sky high with confidence, and the kids totally believe they can win."
Younis says that as always, turnovers will be a big factor in the game. Like Triton, Churubusco also runs a Wing-T offense, but the Eagles have something the Trojans don't - a very big fullback.
"Their fullback is 220 pounds," Younis said. "Everything else is similiar to us, so for our JV practicing Churubusco's offense against us, they were running the same formations and same plays. But a 220-pound fullback, we didn't have."
Though he may not be 220 pounds, Triton's Chad Ulmer is rushing for 5.1 yards a carry, while Adam Creighbaum is averaging 10.4 yards a clip, good for 710 on the season. Also in the backfield, quarterback Troy McIntyre has run for 509 yards with Reggie Davis going for 481 in 2007.
With that, the regional game should be won in the trenches.
"We need to sustain our blocks," he said about his offensive line. They have a very aggressive defense, so it's important for our offensive line to not only get off the ball, but also move them."
And if his team can do that, Younis will see something he never thought he'd hope for - a Churubusco loss.
"I always like to see Churubusco win, but Friday will be the only time I'd like to see them lose," the Triton coach said.
When the Trojans meet the Churubsuco Eagles Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Churubusco, Younis will be returning to the site of his high school graduation and a place he served as an assistant coach from 1997 to 2002.[[In-content Ad]]"This is all about the kids," Younis said. "It has nothing to do with me. It's all about Triton playing Churubusco. Both teams are riding a wave of emotion. We just won our first sectional, and I remember the last time Churubusco won a sectional, because I was playing."
Younis was a junior defensive back and wing back for the Eagles back in 1988, the team's last sectional title. That title occurred in Class 2A, a division Churubusco played in until moving down to Class 1A this year. As a Class 1A team, the Eagles sport a 10-2 record coming into the regional game, averaging 36 points a game, allowing just 13.
"They are an extremely good team," Younis said of the Eagles. "Coach (Lee) Etzler has done a great job. He has a great repetoire with the players and they've bought into the whole program."
Etzler came to Churubusco after the departure of Dan Snyder, the current coach at Southwood. After serving as an assistant for six years under Snyder, Younis decided to leave Churubusco once Etzler was hired, but Younis says he's happy with the outcome.
"I had applied for (the position), but I wasn't ready for it," Younis said. "But right now, I'm in a situation I'm totally happy with. If I had to go back to that time, I'd much rather be here."
Younis can thank former Triton assistant basketball coach Jamie Perlich with his current situation. Perlich talked to Younis about the Triton job after he came to Churubusco as the school's head coach.
"He spoke so highly of Triton, so I said I'd apply," Younis said.
But before applying, the 1990 Churubusco graduate first had to get out a map.
"I'd never even heard of Triton," he said. "Looked at a map and saw it wasn't too far, and it worked out for me."
After getting the Triton job, Younis quickly saw he was going to have to put a lot of work in.
"I had years of coaching experience, but not as a head coach," he said. "When I got here, we had 24 players on the team that first year. I stayed as positive as possible with them, and the kids began buying into it. The following year, we had 36 kids and 42 coming out in my third year. So each year, we gradually increased, with over 50 coming out last year. This year, we're back to 47, but for a 1A program, that's great for numbers."
Bringing in players is one thing. Teaching them to win is quite another. In the four seasons prior to Younis' arrival, Triton had gone 5-35.
"Losing is contagious," Younis said. "You can get into a rut easy, and you can tend to stay there. To change an attitude, a losing attitude, is a hard task. That was a little hard for two years, but then kids began to believe."
That belief resulted in the school's first-ever sectional crown last Friday in Bourbon with a 36-21 victory over South Newton. In that win, the community was also able to change their menatlity.
"The community doesn't see practice," Younis said. "They only know you're not winning, and not seeing the progress being made.
"Friday was amazing, and exactly what high school football should be," the coach added. "The student section was as loud as I've ever heard them. I was proud of our players, but also the student body, too."
Against Churubusco, the Trojans won't have that home field advantage. But for a team that's run for 2,857 yards this season, while surrendering just 1,944, that rushing attack may be able to quiet the Eagle faithful.
"Right now, nobody has an advantage, in terms of momentum," Younis said. "All the remaining teams are on at least a three-game winning streak. All the teams are feeling really good about themselves. Our kids are sky high with confidence, and the kids totally believe they can win."
Younis says that as always, turnovers will be a big factor in the game. Like Triton, Churubusco also runs a Wing-T offense, but the Eagles have something the Trojans don't - a very big fullback.
"Their fullback is 220 pounds," Younis said. "Everything else is similiar to us, so for our JV practicing Churubusco's offense against us, they were running the same formations and same plays. But a 220-pound fullback, we didn't have."
Though he may not be 220 pounds, Triton's Chad Ulmer is rushing for 5.1 yards a carry, while Adam Creighbaum is averaging 10.4 yards a clip, good for 710 on the season. Also in the backfield, quarterback Troy McIntyre has run for 509 yards with Reggie Davis going for 481 in 2007.
With that, the regional game should be won in the trenches.
"We need to sustain our blocks," he said about his offensive line. They have a very aggressive defense, so it's important for our offensive line to not only get off the ball, but also move them."
And if his team can do that, Younis will see something he never thought he'd hope for - a Churubusco loss.
"I always like to see Churubusco win, but Friday will be the only time I'd like to see them lose," the Triton coach said.
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