Hollow words, coupled with empty action, piled up the losses for Steel-High in 2011.
At least, that’s what Rollers senior Dywan Blanding saw.
Looking back at an abysmal 2-8 season a year ago, Blanding knows transfers and injuries played a part in the nose-dive by the proud program.
They were only contributing factors, though, he said.
“It was all talk and no action. And there was too much selfishness — I, me, I, me,” said Blanding, a 5-9, 165-pound cornerback and wide receiver who has played since he was a freshman in 2009. “The older guys were all about themselves, and the younger guys saw them doing it and figured it was fine.”
In one short year, Steel-High lost its way. The Rollers didn’t play well, show any fight or do the little things to get any better. Mediocrity became the rule rather than the exception.
In 2011, the Rollers used words like “family” and “Roller Pride,” but their actions on the practice field during the week and in between the lines on Friday night had little to do with either.
“Last year we said, but we didn’t mean it,” Blanding continued. “We weren’t all in for each other. It’s not just the star players, but every last player. That’s what makes a team. And we didn’t have that.”
One week after the final regular-season game of 2011, Blanding went to work making sure 2012 wasn’t the second act in a losing playbill.
He became what head coach Tom Hailey termed a “linchpin” in the drive to rediscover Roller football.
“Leaders are guys who do it by action. Even last year when we were losing he was one kid who would not quit,” said Hailey, a Steel-High alumnus who was part of the coaching staff during the Rollers’ Class A dominance last decade. “The whole offseason, just the way he worked and stayed in the weight room, it served as an example for other kids.
“Dywan is an excellent student, goes hard every second at practice — you never have to prod or yell at him to get moving in our up-tempo practice. To use a term, Dywan is a coach’s joy.”
Blanding worked hard in the weight room all offseason, but once preseason practice kicked off five weeks ago, he was determined to make sure the young Rollers understood what it took each day in practice to get better.
“We never improved last year. We beat ourselves in so many ways and just stayed the same,” Blanding said. “We didn’t work hard to get better and we didn’t play with intensity and pride. And I’m not about that.
“I know there are days where you don’t want to practice. But you go anyway and give every ounce you have to improve. I’ll do anything extra at practice to get that extra work in to get a little better. And that’s part of what coach is talking about when he talks about Roller Pride.”
Steel-High is off to a somewhat surprising 3-0 start with all three victories coming on the road. And the Rollers have a huge Mid-Penn Capital Division opener with Trinity tonight at Cottage Hill.
Over the last few years, the Shamrocks have physically overwhelmed the Rollers in games that were barely competitive.
But you get the feeling that identity the Rollers rapidly lost last season is coming back. And Blanding is making the tradition of playing Roller football personally.
“I remember what it was like when we were winning state championships and watching those guys play. And I feel the future of the tradition of Roller Pride is in our hands,” Blanding said. “I love winning, but it’s all about doing things the right way. There is nothing like walking into a game at Cottage Hill.
“There is no better town than Steelton when you are winning football games. I know what it takes. And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure Roller football comes back. I will not allow what happened last year to happen again.”
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