'Feels like a new team': Delta football confident in rebounding from losing 2021 season

MUNCIE, Ind. — Delta football's players and coaches agree that there's a different vibe this year.

The Eagles in 2021 went 5-6, the first losing record in head coach Chris Overholt's now-seven seasons with the program. Replacing 17 starters certainly impacted the team's consistency, but several players also described a disconnect within the group.

"Last year, there was a lack of leadership and it felt like a lot of players just didn't really want to be there," senior linebacker Dylan Manor said. "But those guys are gone now. We've got a bunch of people who want to be here and want to win and compete."

"It just feels like a new team," junior quarterback Kaiden Bond said. "More energy this year."

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"I think we've just come together," senior running back Palmer Samuels said. "It's really nice."

Overholt attributed Delta's previous lack of cohesion to both youth and practice limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2020 season, Overholt said the varsity, JV and freshmen teams never came into contact with one another, and transitioning back to a normal schedule in 2021 proved clunkier than anticipated.

But after a year of "gelling," those issues are no longer present. Practices have been smooth, the kids are competing and pushing the guy next to them to improve while still enjoying the game. The program also moved down into Class 3A, making for fresh and exciting postseason opportunities.

The shift started in the offseason. With the help of a full summer to use the school's new $6 million fitness center, Overholt said the Eagles' workout culture changed, led by a respected class of seniors all eager to get the program back on track.

He's been impressed with many of the lifting numbers his players have achieved. Everyone's hopeful it's noticeable on Friday nights.

"In the weight room, the way we work, we weren't just there to check off a box for attendance. We were trying to achieve something every day that we were in there," Overholt said. "They were getting after it. And that was directly our team leaders ... setting the tone early and saying, 'This is the way we're going to work.'"

One of Delta's most important player voices will be Bond, who enters the season as the starting quarterback after filling in all of last season for the injured Samuels. Bond was solid in 2021 while enduring the natural ups and downs of being an sophomore under center — he tallied 1,008 passing yards and 15 passing touchdowns to just four interceptions, as well as 226 yards and six scores rushing — and said he's glad the team put its confidence in him again.

Overholt doubled-down on that decision by installing a new offensive system. There will be more passing and spread formations compared to 2021's run-heavy attack, and Bond looked good throwing the ball in drills. The Eagles have some athletes at skill positions like Samuels, who returns from an ACL and lateral meniscus tear in his right knee. He'll be a running back and pass catcher, and although he still wears a heavy knee brace, he's been spry and athletic in practice.

The entire offensive line also returns, a rare and welcomed occurrence in high school football, so there is more assurance for Bond and the coaches that new plays can be properly executed.

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Bond also has more opportunities to be himself on the field with the confidence and freedom from the coaching staff, as well as more comfort after a year of experience. He said he's learning to be a true "commander" of the offense.

"I learned compared to last year that like you have to stay the same emotional level the whole season," Bond said. "(You're) going to have ups and downs, but you got to stay the same."

The offense is also being tested in practice by some solid defensive players. Although Ben Morris is gone, 4A Junior All-State defensive lineman Hunter Wallace is back and transitioning from edge rusher to the interior. He's a football-first type of guy, solely focused on winning, so he doesn't hesitate to challenge his own offensive line.

"I make them all work," Wallace said.

Manor, though, is the captain of the defense. He cited the secondary and communication as weaknesses in Delta's defense in 2021, but he's confident those issues have been addressed. He's excited about some new schemes on that side of the ball and said he's been impressed with the level of competition the offense and defense have been playing at through two weeks of practice.

"We're going to be bringing some heat this year, and we've got some dogs on the defense who like to get after it," Manor said. "I think the best team that we going face all year, we see them every single day in practice. Iron sharpens iron."

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There's no shortage of enthusiasm from Eagles players about the team's chances for success this year, starting with a trip to Muncie Central at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19.

This optimism might not have been possible, though, if not for Delta's growing participation numbers. Overholt said that even when the Eagles were winning sectional titles in 2015 and 2016 there were several two-way players. It's generally more difficult for someone to make significant improvements when he has to focus on offense and defense, remember more plays, get fewer reps at a specific position, so the less that kids are required to do that, the better.

Overholt said there's just one player on the 2022 roster playing both ways, so practices are now "two platoon," which helps efficiency. This luxury allowed most of the returning and expected starters to focus on their specific roles this offseason, and the entire team is benefitting as a result.

Delta hopes numbers continue to grow, and the fitness center and upgrades to the turf field should only help. In the meantime, the Eagles are focused on the task ahead and turning the page on the disappointment of last year. They're excited, but can't get ahead of themselves.

"We can't look at our long-term goals and say, 'Hey, that's more important,' and we lose oversight and we stumble. Muncie Central Week 1 is the most important thing to us," Overholt said. "But we want to get back to being undefeated in the county, which we were for a number of years. But that doesn't happen unless we win Week 1. And we want to be undefeated in our out-of-conference competition, and that doesn't happen unless we get Week 1."

Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com.