[ryanparker]

Let me ask you "in the know" Russell fans a question regarding next season. I have read on here all season long about the lack of leadership and discipline that plagued this Russell team this year. Can you tell me if the players who caused this lack of leadership and discipline are graduating? I surely hope brighter days are ahead for the Russell football program.

I don't have any inside information, but just from watching them play and their demeanor on the sidelines, I would think that next year's seniors are going to be a good bunch in the leadership and discipline categories. If they can work some talented underclassmen into the mix and if everyone knows and accepts their roles, then maybe Russell can be fun to watch next year.

As for the complaints about Coach McGlone...I think every Russell fan including myself has wondered at one time or another why we aren't passing more or running a particular play here or there. When I really think about it, though, Coach McGlone has won a lot of games doing things the way he does them and I respect his consistency. This decade of Russell football has had quite a few teams that excelled in his system so I really don't think this team has a world of room to complain.

The fact is that the players coming up through the system know what they are going to be asked to do when it is time to play at the varsity level. Heck, Coach McGlone is so consistent that they could have been practicing the plays since their JFL days! It is up to each one of them to find their role, embrace it, and excel at it. When you have a team full of guys who do this, that is really fun to watch. Russell has had a few of those teams this decade. I hope next year's team is like that.

I think the discipline needs to be enforced not only by the coaches, but also by the respected leaders on the team. I can think of a few prime candidates to fill that role next year. It will just be a matter of how much having a great senior season means to them.