St. Vincent preview: Commitment to winning is year-round for Indians

St. Vincent's returning players got a little bit of a reward for winning the 2004 Class 1 state championship.

They had a full month off between the final game and the start of preparations for 2005.

Of course, the fact the season ended so late -- Nov. 27 with a 21-0 thrashing of East Buchanan in the state title game at the Edward Jones Dome -- and the Christmas holiday was just around the corner played a big part.

"We usually give them about two weeks after the season is over," St. Vincent coach Keith Winkler said. "This year, we added on the Christmas break."

The break was deserved after a 13-1 season that ended with 11 consecutive victories en route to the school's first state title.

But for returning players such as Waylon Richardet, Dustin Winkler and Ben Buchheit -- the three captains for the Indians this season -- the chance to get back to work on Jan. 1 could not come soon enough. Richardet was a weight-room regular while playing on the St. Vincent boys basketball team that finished as the Class 2 state runner-up.

"We believe it helps the overall sports program, not just the football program," Winkler said. "In the 1990s, when Arkansas won the [NCAA] title, they were lifting on a daily basis. We didn't have them lift on game days. As long as they're lifting and shooting every day, it's not going to screw up their shot."

That is part of the changing landscape of offseason work for high school football.

The Indians lifted nearly year-round. They had a two-week camp in July. They played in a 7-on-7 football league during the summer with larger schools Herculaneum, Hillsboro and league host Festus St. Pius.

The commitment paid off in last year's state championship, when the Indians imposed their run-first, pass-when-we-feel-like-it offense on the opposition. The defense allowed seven or fewer points in seven of 10 regular-season games and did the trick in three of four postseason games. In all, St. Vincent had four shutouts in 14 games.

St. Vincent lost a lot to graduation, but returning players such as Richardet, Buchheit and Winkler played pivotal roles. Other returning players had a fair share of work in a handful of games decided by more than 20 points.

"Hopefully, our ground game is going to be strong," Winkler said. "People are going to come up and stack the box on us, so we better be able to throw the ball."

Richardet, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior, finished last year with a team-best 925 yards and 16 touchdowns. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry and closed the season with seven TDs in four playoff games, when he rushed for at least 89 yards in each game.

Winkler, a 5-6, 160-pound senior, was the second-leading rusher with 731 yards (6. 3 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns. He also had five receptions.

Other potential backs are Lucas Robinson, who had 25 carries for 89 yards last year as a sophomore, and Daniel Ochs, who had seven carries for 26 yards last season as a sophomore.

Junior Tim Guilliams, who completed 2 of 4 passes last year in a backup role, and junior Greg Finger, a converted center, are battling for the quarterback position.

Much of the receiving corps -- led by Danny Rellergert and Joey Guilliams -- is gone. Seth Amschler, a 5-10, 165-pound senior, caught five passes for 88 yards last year. Seniors Eric Clements, Jonathon Buehler and Luke Klump will get some work on the ends.

Buchheit (6-0, 255, senior) spearheads the line with Chris Fischer (5-11, 240, junior), who saw some time at center last year. Jacob Sutterer, Kellan Comte, Kenton Hoernig and Greg Rellergert are other line candidates.

Richardet, Buchheit, Amschler, Robinson and Winkler are the top returning tacklers.

"With just nine seniors and eight juniors, a lot of guys are going to have to go both ways," Winkler said.

Few will feel sorry about the St. Vincent program's numbers, though. Twenty-one freshmen came out for the program.

And many of those players already have entered the school's weightlifting program. Winkler said he encourages potential players to come to the weight room beginning midway through their eighth-grade years.

"And that's more due to the lack of space we have," he said.

Indeed, on one busy day during the spring, the weight room was packed with lifters -- many of them incoming freshmen -- so much that work stations overflowed into the hallway.

"Research shows that you can start at a younger age," Winkler said. "My third-grade daughter has started to train, just so she knows the proper techniques and how to lift."

That marks a big difference from Winkler's playing days in the early 1980s.

"When I played, they just opened the door and said go lift when you can," he said. "I don't know how many players actually did the weight program back then, honestly. I know Valle had it going.

"Today, the kids know what they want to lift and how to lift, technique."

St. Vincent uses a computer to chart each person.

"It lets kids know where they're at," Winkler said. "We're not asking for a lot of time, and we know the kids are busy. I think when they first get started, people have to pull them in here, and then they see they're getting stronger. They see what they do in here pays off out there. It's fun to be the hitter instead of the hittee.

"A lot of guys come in and after two weeks, they think they're going to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger. That's not going to happen. We talk about making it a habit and developing the right kind of habits."

That commitment paid off in a state title last year, which in turn excites athletes who want to be a part of the program.

"There's been great enthusiasm throughout camp," Winkler said. "Everybody is trying to build on what happened last year. At the same time, we have to go out and earn it."

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St. Vincent Info

• Coach: Keith Winkler, fifth season (45-14)
• Last year: The Indians won the Class 1 state championship with a 21-0 shutout of East Buchanan. St. Vincent won 11 straight games to close the season with a 13-1 record.
• Key departures: Alex Armbruster, QB; Kyle Kline, RB/LB/K; Danny Rellergert, TE/P; Mark Prost, OT; Brian Buchheit, C/DT; Luke Guyot, LB; Anthony Brown, RB; Patrick Siegmund, OT/DE.

2004 results

Priory W 36-14

at Park Hills Central W 10-0

at Potosi L 17-14

at Grandview W 40-7

St. Pius W 40-0

Crystal City W 46-6

at Maplewood-RH W 14-7

Chaffee W 61-6

at Valle W 24-3

Hayti W 37-16

Class 1 state playoffs

at South Shelby W 24-7

at Salisbury W 19-0

at Marionville W 20-14

vs. East Buchanan W 21-0

2005 schedule

Sept. 2 Priory 7

Sept. 9 Park Hills Central 7

Sept. 16 Potosi 7

Sept. 23 Grandview 7

Sept. 30 at St. Pius 7

Oct. 7 at Crystal City 7

Oct. 14 Maplewood 7:15

Oct. 21 at Chaffee 7

Oct. 28 Valle 7

Nov. 3 at Hayti 7

Offense

• Leading rushers Waylon Richardet and Dustin Winkler return, so expect the Indians to try to ground out victories again this year.

Returning starters:

RB Waylon Richardet 6-2 220 Sr.

RB Dustin Winkler 5-6 160 Sr.

WR Seth Amschler 5-10 165 Sr.

OG Ben Buchheit 6-0 255 Sr.

Defense

• St. Vincent had four shutouts last year and allowed seven points or less in nine of 14 games. Four returning starters should keep the defense strong again.

Returning starters:

NT Ben Buchheit 6-0 255 Sr.

DT Waylon Richardet 6-2 220 Sr.

LB Seth Amschler 5-10 165 Sr.

DB Lucas Robinson 5-11 140 Jr.

Special teams

• The Indians lost kicker Kyle Kline, who led the area with eight field goals and added 28 extra points, and punter Danny Rellergert. Richardet or Daniel Ochs should handle the punting chores while Lucas Robinson or Jonathon Buehler will kick. Amschler, Robinson, Winkler and Luke Klump will get time on returns.

Returning starters:

None

Outlook

• St. Vincent returns some key components of last year's state championship team, but does it have enough of them to repeat as the MAFC Blue Division and district champion? "Valle's got a good group of seniors," Winkler said. "In high school football, you're going to lose to graduation every year, and the question is, 'How does it affect you?'"