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Lawhon continues Bearkat tradition
  
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By Michael Sudhalter
Following a legend is never easy.
But Klein boys soccer coach John Lawhon has a straightforward approach to it – be himself and let everything else fall into place.
“The big thing here is following the winningest coach in Texas history,” Lawhon said. “You’re not going to be able to fill those shoes, and I’m not going to try. All I’m going to do is be my myself and do the best job I can do. If you get deep enough (in the playoffs) every year, the wins will come.”
Lawhon, 39, replaces Allen Baker, who won 656 games, three state championships and a No. 1 national ranking during his 26 seasons at Klein.
Baker, 62, resigned after the Bearkats lost in the state championship game last season and encouraged Lawhon to apply for the position.
“We’d done clinics together for the UIL Convention for all of the coaches, and I knew of his background, said Baker, now a consultant/assistant coach for the Concordia Lutheran girls soccer team. “I wouldn’t have recommended him if I didn’t think he was the right man.”
Lawhon was hired with some impressive credentials. The Corsicana native won the 2004 State Championship at Coppell High near Dallas.
He’s won his first three games of the season at the Klein Showcase of Champions Tournament, Jan. 8-10, by a combined score of 9-0 and is closing in on 300 career victories.
“I’m enjoying it,” Lawhon said. “The kids have welcomed me in, and they’ve worked really hard for me. The main thing I was concerned about, being the new coach, was that I’d have trouble adjusting, but they’ve really taken me in and doing everything I’ve asked, and hopefully, it will pay off.”
Lawhon played three seasons at Sam Houston State and coached both at Corsicana and Coppell before accepting the Klein job.
Expectations are high once again for the Bearkats, who have 17 seniors including captains Jeremy Dillman-Colie, Ryan Torgersen and Grant Marcantel.
Marcantel, a midfidler, said he’s adjusted to Lawhon’s coaching style before the Bearkats opened with St. Thomas on Jan. 8.
“I’ve gained a whole lot more respect for him by realizing that this coach understood his position coming from a longtime tradition to being the new guy,” Marcantel said. “He had a lot of responsibility. For him to continue that tradition, he needed people to step up. I think the three of us (captains) did that really well.”
Dillman-Colie, a forward, said there’s been an added emphasis on drills in practice, but old traditions haven’t changed.
“He’s really leading us this year,” Dillman-Colie said. “We’re doing a lot more drills and a lot more conditioning. He expects you to do your best, and he won’t take anything else.
“He respects all of our traditions, he isn’t trying to change anything. He’s just doing his best job.”
Torgersen, a senior midfielder/forward, appreciates Lawhon’s confidence in the team.
“He trusts us to make the right decision on the field,” Torgersen said. “He puts a lot of faith in us, and that really impacts our team a lot.”
Lawhon’s philosophy is rooted in defense, combining that with an aggressive offensive attack.
“You have to have a good defensive squad to have any chance of success,” Lawhon said. “With the modern craze of offensive attacking styles, I kind of put myself in that. It’s kind of a fast-paced possession game, connecting quick, short passes, quickly getting into the offensive third of the field. It’s a fun style for the fans to watch.”
Most importantly, Lawhon realizes what keeps tradition going strong.
“We have a lot of players that were on last year’s team, were part of the playoffs and understand what it’s like to be part of a big game,” he said. “No team wants to be the first team that didn’t go deep in the playoffs. When it gets crunch time, those kids are going to push themselves. They know what’s on the line, tradition-wise.”
But Klein boys soccer coach John Lawhon has a straightforward approach to it – be himself and let everything else fall into place.
“The big thing here is following the winningest coach in Texas history,” Lawhon said. “You’re not going to be able to fill those shoes, and I’m not going to try. All I’m going to do is be my myself and do the best job I can do. If you get deep enough (in the playoffs) every year, the wins will come.”
Lawhon, 39, replaces Allen Baker, who won 656 games, three state championships and a No. 1 national ranking during his 26 seasons at Klein.
Baker, 62, resigned after the Bearkats lost in the state championship game last season and encouraged Lawhon to apply for the position.
“We’d done clinics together for the UIL Convention for all of the coaches, and I knew of his background, said Baker, now a consultant/assistant coach for the Concordia Lutheran girls soccer team. “I wouldn’t have recommended him if I didn’t think he was the right man.”
Lawhon was hired with some impressive credentials. The Corsicana native won the 2004 State Championship at Coppell High near Dallas.
He’s won his first three games of the season at the Klein Showcase of Champions Tournament, Jan. 8-10, by a combined score of 9-0 and is closing in on 300 career victories.
“I’m enjoying it,” Lawhon said. “The kids have welcomed me in, and they’ve worked really hard for me. The main thing I was concerned about, being the new coach, was that I’d have trouble adjusting, but they’ve really taken me in and doing everything I’ve asked, and hopefully, it will pay off.”
Lawhon played three seasons at Sam Houston State and coached both at Corsicana and Coppell before accepting the Klein job.
Expectations are high once again for the Bearkats, who have 17 seniors including captains Jeremy Dillman-Colie, Ryan Torgersen and Grant Marcantel.
Marcantel, a midfidler, said he’s adjusted to Lawhon’s coaching style before the Bearkats opened with St. Thomas on Jan. 8.
“I’ve gained a whole lot more respect for him by realizing that this coach understood his position coming from a longtime tradition to being the new guy,” Marcantel said. “He had a lot of responsibility. For him to continue that tradition, he needed people to step up. I think the three of us (captains) did that really well.”
Dillman-Colie, a forward, said there’s been an added emphasis on drills in practice, but old traditions haven’t changed.
“He’s really leading us this year,” Dillman-Colie said. “We’re doing a lot more drills and a lot more conditioning. He expects you to do your best, and he won’t take anything else.
“He respects all of our traditions, he isn’t trying to change anything. He’s just doing his best job.”
Torgersen, a senior midfielder/forward, appreciates Lawhon’s confidence in the team.
“He trusts us to make the right decision on the field,” Torgersen said. “He puts a lot of faith in us, and that really impacts our team a lot.”
Lawhon’s philosophy is rooted in defense, combining that with an aggressive offensive attack.
“You have to have a good defensive squad to have any chance of success,” Lawhon said. “With the modern craze of offensive attacking styles, I kind of put myself in that. It’s kind of a fast-paced possession game, connecting quick, short passes, quickly getting into the offensive third of the field. It’s a fun style for the fans to watch.”
Most importantly, Lawhon realizes what keeps tradition going strong.
“We have a lot of players that were on last year’s team, were part of the playoffs and understand what it’s like to be part of a big game,” he said. “No team wants to be the first team that didn’t go deep in the playoffs. When it gets crunch time, those kids are going to push themselves. They know what’s on the line, tradition-wise.”
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