Lutheran South High School football has a new head coach this year with expectations of an all-around successful program.
Coach Brad Loomis is taking the helm of a Lancer team coming off of a 3-7 season. His main goals going forward are focused more on the foundation of a successful program, rather than immediate success on the field.
“We’ve got one of the toughest conferences in St. Louis and we’re one of the smaller schools in that conference so we have to be realistic with expectations,” Loomis said. “I’ve come here to build a long-standing program and this is the first step in that.”
Success outside of the football field is one thing Loomis pointed out as part of the culture he is trying to create.
“We’re trying to set a culture of being a champion everyday, and that doesn’t necessarily mean wins and losses. It means doing the right thing on the field, in school, in the classroom, being a good citizen in the community,” Loomis said. “We’re out here working hard and we hope to win some football games, but a successful season for me is if every underclassmen on our team comes back next year.”
Loomis has years of experience coaching football, but 2022 will be his first season as a head coach. He spent eight years as an assistant coach at Washington University after graduating, split time as a coordinator at South and Oakville High School and returned to Wash U before taking time off due to COVID.
He said entering a program as a new coach allows the players the opportunity to reset their expectations and their fit within the program. Loomis said summer workouts allowed him and the team to get aligned and start “rowing the boat in the same direction.”
The Lancer’s roster features 35 players, including 10 seniors. Loomis said the team is set in a lot of skill positions like quarterback and wide receiver, but the offensive line will feature some players who haven’t seen much playing time in the past.
Seniors and team captains Logan Slinkard, quarterback, and Cole Buscher, receiver/safety, agreed with Loomis regarding skill positions. Slinkard is a three-year returning starter and Buscher was last year’s leading receiver and returns kicks.
“I think we’re stacked at the skill positions … we’ve got a lot of talent and I think we can make a playoff run this year,” Slinkard said.
South kicks its season off Aug. 26 at home against Affton High School. The Lancers defeated Affton 26-17 in last year’s season opener.
“We’re looking forward to Affton, kind of our in-town rivals … that’s a great rivalry that has a ton of history so we’re excited about that,” Loomis said.
