by Jameson Shank
The Lancer football team ushered in their 2009 season beating Davenport West 39-0 at Brady Street Stadium in Davenport on August 28. Predictions for the game were in North Scott’s favor, with predictions telling of a win by a wide margin over West.

Lancer Football coach Kevin Tippet’s pistol formation, which proved to be a worthy addition to the Lance’s playbook back in 2008, made a triumphant return during the game. It was this same play that helped the team claim victory over West the year before.

It looks as if the Lancers will have a strong impact on the MAC and other the teams in the conference this year. According to a Quad-City Times poll published August 30, 16% of those who voted said North Scott would be the best team this year. Only Bettendorf had a higher percentage, with 37% of the vote. Bettendorf came out with an expected 28-0 win against Pleasant Valley on August 28, proving that the are still the driving force in the MAC.

Lancer football lost 25 dedicated players when the senior members of the varsity team graduated in 2008. Now only a fraction of this year’s members are seniors—17 out of a total 45 players. The senior players were busy in the off-season, having received weekly leadership seminars in the spring in order to help benefit their team and themselves in the coming year. They are now equipped to provide their junior teammates (in varsity for the first time) with much-needed guidance.

Confident that his new players will step up, Coach Tippet said that he hopes his boys can win this year’s first round playoff game. However, the new juniors will have to maximize their efforts if they wish to help their team be a credible threat in the MAC this year. Luckily, the off-season for the juniors was spent building character and honing their skills in the weight room and in other sports.

Both Tippet and the varsity team hope they can repeat their August 28 victory as they fight Davenport North in their first 2009 home game on September 4. The forecast for the home game looks bright for the Lancers as North lost 57-6 when they went up against Clinton on August 27. Tippet let his players know the importance of starting the season with two good games under their belt. If the Lancers show Davenport North the same determination they had during their August 28 game, then they could have a very good start to their season.