LaVille football building with new and returning talent

LAKEVILLE, Ind. - Success in the regular season is nothing new to the LaVille Lancers football team, but last year they captured their first postseason success in quite some time.

In 2018, they hope to keep building towards more.

It was an up-and-down regular season for the Lancers in 2017, but a late five-game winning streak bridging the start of the postseason saw LaVille capture its first sectional title since 2003 before falling to Pioneer, the eventual state champs in Class 1A.

Now, head coach Will Hostrawser tries to keep his group on the upward trajectory they’ve taken in his previous five seasons at the helm, this time with a mix of new and old talent.

“The kids are going to prove it daily out here on the practice field, and they’re doing that,” said Hostrawser. “That’s something that makes this job really special. When kids compete against their teammates and really push each other to be the best they can be, that’s when you’ve got something special. I’ve got a whole bunch of that going on now.”

While each season is different, Hostrawser believes this team will boast the same identity as the last few iterations of Lancer teams.

“We will always be in shape. Conditioning is a big part of what we do. We’re a 1A school and we have a lot of kids going both ways. They’re fighting for number one spots on both sides of the ball [no matter] what grade they are.”

As is often the case at small schools, success on the football field can have a big impact on the surrounding community. And this year seems to be no different.

“Every year I get that," Hostrawser said. "Everybody’s asking about the team and I tell them the same thing. Right now we look small and not real fast and we’re learning how to play together. This year’s no different. We’re working hard and each day we have an opportunity to get better. Right now, the kids are taking advantage of that.”

LaVille will compete against Wabash in a scrimmage on Friday, and then will begin the season on August 17 against Culver Military Academy.