Perhaps no other local fan base should be more excited about their gridiron prospects over the next three seasons than the O’Bannon Greenwaves faithful.
Head coach Lynn Lang embodies the promise for the future through his examples. As the world waits to return to normal post COVID-19, the Greenwaves sideline general sets the tone by keeping in shape walking around the track at Harty Park and mowing his lawn.
“Most people probably don’t realize that the coach has to be in just a good of shape as the players,” he explained. “It’s a strenuous job when you’re trying to run practices and keep up with people less than half your age. When you call out a play in practice, you definitely want to have the wind to be able to get it out.”
Lang lamented over not being able to practice with the team right now and the situation that hovers over all aspects of life. Like any coach, he has the calendar of event firmly cemented into his memory under ordinary circumstances. “If I’m not mistaken, I think we would have been playing our first spring game on Friday in Clarksdale,” Lang said. “Spring football would have begun to start hitting its high point.”
Lang said that it’s a tricky situation trying to ensure that his team is demonstrating the same discipline that he is by staying in shape. He said that Mississippi High School Athletic Association rules prohibit practice currently and “you must play by the rules.” “I just hope my linemen don’t come in 100 pounds heavier than when I last saw them,” he joked.
As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds and the waiting game continues, Lang said that O’Bannon fans can expect a team that gets back to the basics on offense and a team that “hits you in the mouth” on defense. When Lang took over, the team had lost 21 seniors from the previous season. His sophomore class will be the focal point of the team in the 2020 season.
