‘Like a snowball rolling downhill,’ Lewisville hopes to build off last year. Why it can

The atmosphere surrounding Lewisville High School’s Lions’ Den on a recent August afternoon was anything but typical. The cloud-shrouded sky offered a brief, cooling respite from the usual searing Chester County heat.

On the field, though, many of the usual sights and sounds for which fans of the blue and gold await this time every year were taking place. The defense was making noise during an offensive drill, while coach Will Mitchell was egging them on as a means of both encouragement and preparation. Passes departed quarterback Christien Yoder’s right arm en route to receivers bound for the end zone.

The same energy that surrounded the 1A Lions’ program as it closed the truncated 2020 campaign on a three-game win streak is obvious on this day. It’s just as obvious when speaking to Mitchell about his team’s 2021 prospects.

“2020 was a crazy year. It was a successful year for us on the field, especially all things considered with what we had with the coronavirus and everything else,” Mitchell told The Herald. “From a program standpoint, we won our last three, four of our last five, and won two on the road. The last game was on the road against the defending state runners-up (Ridge Spring-Monetta). The seniors went out playing their best football that they had played. That’s the same crowd that took it on the chin — 0-10 — as sophomores. They walked off the field as winners.

“In addition, we had a really big now-sophomore, then-freshman class. Our last drive of last season, four of the six offensive linemen were ninth graders out there for the crucial, game-clinching drive. If you make the playoffs every year, rarely do you take a win streak into the offseason. We had a lot of positive feelings with that. It was a great summer of work. We had the highest numbers we’ve ever had during the summer. All of that feeds on itself. It’s like a snowball rolling downhill. Finishing the season the way we did last year started it, and everything from then on has just added to it.”

Who will lead Lewisville this year?

The young, stout offensive line will hear a familiar voice calling the signals behind it. Yoder will look to finish his Lion career with a flourish, after battling through injury concerns that limited him to just four starts under center in his sophomore and junior seasons.

“All the injuries — none of them were neglectful things, they were just bad luck. We’re hoping he’ll have some luck,” Mitchell said. “He’s been taking snaps for four years now. His being back at quarterback is huge for us. We’ve changed our offense quite a bit over time to become a different type of team, mostly to help our defense. He’s adjusted to it. He’s a good enough athlete to play college football somewhere. I sure hope he gets the opportunity.”

Yoder will be surrounded by skill talent that should help fuel the modified Lion offense. Mitchell cited sophomore Joaquan Howze and senior Anthony Walls as standout running backs. Walls’ story is particularly notable, as he starred as a corner in his first three seasons and will play offense for the first time in 2021. Senior wideout KJ Hemphill will be a likely favorite of Yoder down the field, with a group of young wideouts looking to share the offensive load.

Veteran leadership can also be found at the helm of the Lewisville defense.

Junior linebacker Jubal Grant and senior D’Arrius Edwards will carry much of the defensive load. Grant paced the Lions in tackles last season, while Edwards serves as a disruptive force from the defensive end position.

“His energy sets the tone for the team,” Mitchell said of Edwards, who was an all-state selection as a junior. “You snap the ball and he’s the Tasmanian Devil who just got cut loose on the field. When it comes to football, he is full energy all the time.”

Senior linebacker/fullback Demetrius Hills provides a rock-solid complement to Grant in the linebacking corps, while Mitchell cites senior defensive lineman Jaymes Gillcrese as the keystone of the unit.

“Jaymes has started every game for us on both the O-Line and D-Line since his ninth-grade year and has been just a hammer,” Mitchell said. “We’re in a position this year where right now, he hasn’t taken a snap on offense yet. His playing one way might be a scary proposition (for opponents).”

Building off special end to 2020

The Lions will find out early on just how far their momentum from last season will carry forward. Lewisville will open the campaign with two tough road tilts before returning home to face former Region 4-2A foe Buford.

“I thought we’d have a chance to be a pretty good team. We have a pretty tough schedule,” Mitchell said. “We start the season off against the No. 2 team in SCISA (Laurence Manning Academy in Manning), who’s won 20 games in the last two years. We’re going down to their place in The Swamp. Right after that, it’s at Wagener-Salley.

“We’re not starting with region games, so to an extent, that’s a luxury, but we’re stepping up to the plate against some pretty tough people.”

While it remains to be seen just how much the Lions will learn from their early challenges, their leader can already sense a few things.

“There’s a competence to this team,” Mitchell noted. “We’ve had years where we had some really, really good skill kids, and we’ve had years where we’ve had really, really good linemen. We’ve never had so many good linemen, and we’re still solid in skill.

“We are ahead right now — on the line of scrimmage, we’re further ahead than any time in my 10 years here. There have been times we’ve been pretty good. Right now, we are ahead of those teams on the line. Take that for what it’s worth.”

Lewisville football schedule

Check The Herald’s website for a comprehensive look at all the football schedules for high schools in York, Chester and Lancaster counties.

Aug. 20 at Laurence Manning Academy

Aug. 27 at Wagener-Salley

Sept. 3 Buford

Sept. 10 New Hope

Sept. 17 Eau Claire

Sept. 24 Whitmire

Oct. 1 at C.A. Johnson

Oct. 8 BYE

Oct. 15 at Great Falls

Oct. 22 Lamar

Oct. 29 McBee (Senior Night)

This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 8:00 AM.