Strawberry Crest linebacker Kagan Lioy didn’t put up monster numbers on the stat sheet last Friday night, but stats don’t tell the whole story. Lioy, a senior, had one of those games where all the little things go right and add up to a bigger result: Lennard’s offense couldn’t do almost anything it wanted to do and the Chargers were able to take advantage of that.
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You played well on Friday and helped the team win at home for the first time in over four seasons. How does it feel to break another losing streak?
It feels good, especially making it a homecoming game and being at the end of my senior season. It feels good.
What was the reaction like around school? Every student at the game saw something they’d never seen before.
They were all super excited for us and really happy that we finally did something, I guess. Their words — not mine.
How did you guys feel going into the game?
It kind of felt like any other game, for the most part, but I felt more of a vibe from the fans because it was homecoming. I felt like we were gonna win, too.
How did you prepare for the game?
I kind of did what I did every week. Just for some reason this week, I felt a little more prepared about everything. I’m not really sure why.
Coach (Ron) Hawn said you and a bunch of your teammates take a lot of pride in being Antioch kids. What does that mean to you?
Coming from Antioch, you’ve got to be “country strong” … it’s all about how we play individually and as a team. We could be losing, 50-0, but we’re still going to be hitting people in the mouth as hard as we can, as fast as we can, every play.
It looks like things are starting to turn around for Crest football. How do you feel about where things are going from here?
I feel happy about our future. Everyone’s attitude’s changing towards Crest. I can see Crest moving up in the future.
When did you start playing football?
I played half a season when I was in fifth grade, so I don’t know how old I was then. That was a while ago. I didn’t play again until I was in eighth grade … I was living in Mississippi for my fifth grade (season), but I played with the (Antioch) Redskins in eighth grade and my freshman year. I played spring ball for them and played fall ball for the school.
Do you play any other sports?
I wrestled a little bit when I was younger. I throw for our track team. I did last year and I plan on doing it this year.
What advice would you give to next year’s players?
It’s going to be tough. Just push yourself to your limits. Push yourself past them. You’ll get bigger, you’ll get better, you’ll get stronger. Keep your grades up, because those are more important.