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2016 Prep Football Previews: Lloyd hopes to continue winning trend with championship season


The NKyTribune will be providing focused coverage of NKY high school football throughout the season, thanks to support from St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine. See all of our pre-season features on each of NKY’s 21 high school football teams and follow our coverage, including roundups each week at Northern Kentucky High School Football.

By Evan Merrill
NKyTribune intern

The Lloyd football team has showed steady improvement since Eric Turner became head coach in 2013. The Juggernauts improved their record and got one step further in the playoffs in each of the last three years.

To continue that trend, this year’s team would have to win 10 games and make it to the Class 2A state semifinals. Turner thinks the Juggernauts are capable of attaining those goals.

Durham, Fann of Lloyd

Senior running back Justin Durham, left, and junior quarterback Jordan Fann are returning to lead the Lloyd offense. (Photo by Evan Merrill)

“Across the board, I’d say we’re the most skilled we’ve been since I’ve gotten here at all skill positions,” he said. “The question mark again is up front. You’re only as good as your guys up front and that’s what we’re trying to put in place right now.”

The Juggernauts have junior quarterback Jordan Fann and senior running back Justin Durham returning from last year’s 9-4 team that lost in the Class 2A regional finals. Durham was the team’s leading rusher and scorer with 1,399 yards and 16 touchdowns. Fann passed for 1,412 yards and 15 TDs.

“Offensively, Jordan’s going to have to use his head and his arm,” Turner said. “Justin on the ground game should be one of the top running backs in Northern Kentucky.”

How well the Lloyd offense does this season will mainly depend on the offensive line that the coaching staff puts together. Turner said he has no returning starters up front, but he expects to develop capable replacements during preseason workouts and practice sessions.

“To be successful, you need to be a team and that’s what we’ve been trying to build on,” Turner said. “Counting on each other, being great teammates, that brotherhood. That’s come through in the weight room and the workout program this year.”

Lloyd has an 0-5 record against district rival Newport Central Catholic over the last three years. Two of those losses came in the playoffs and ended the Juggernauts’ season. Ending that losing streak is the team’s primary goal this year.

“We’re going to take that hurdle because we’re together as brothers this year,” Fann said. “Last year, we were a bit separated. Now, through all of these workouts, we’ve been pushing each other. I really feel like we can take down an NCC.”

Coach Turner said the team’s first objective will be finishing first in the local Class 2A four-team district that includes NewCath, Holy Cross and Newport.

St-E-Football-plug-768x249“From day one since I’ve gotten here, that’s what we’ve talked about,” Turner said of winning the district title. “That’s going through these teams — Newport, Holy Cross and NCC. We’ve just got to take that next step. Our sights are on all three of them, but we haven’t beat NCC yet. It’s been a long time since that’s happened and that’s something we definitely talk about, the district title goes through them.”

It’s good to have a multi-year starter like Durham setting the tone for the team. He leads by example for the underclassmen.

“I feel like since I have a few years of varsity experience under my belt, I know what to expect,” Durham said. “I just want to help my team and (have them) just be at the same level and mindset that I have.”

Turner is glad to hear players like Durham promoting the team concept.

“Those state championship teams, that’s what they all have,” he said. “They’re a unit, they’re a team, and they’re a brotherhood. Last year, finally, we got good at that, and this year we built off of that. I’m really excited to see what this team can do.”

LLOYD JUGGERNAUTS

2015 SEASON: 9-4 record, lost in third round of Class 2A playoffs.
DISTRICT: Class 2A, District 4 with Holy Cross, Newport and Newport Central Catholic.
HEAD COACH: Eric Turner (23-12 in three seasons at Lloyd).

2016 SCHEDULE
Aug. 19 – WALTON-VERONA, 7 p.m.
Aug. 26 – at Beechwood, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2 – GRANT COUNTY, 7 p.m.
Sept. 9 – at Holmes, 7 p.m.
Sept. 23 – at Garrard County, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 30 – at Conner, 7 p.m.
Oct. 7 – NEWPORT, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 – NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC, 7 p.m.
Oct. 22 – at Holy Cross, 1 p.m.
Oct. 28 – HARRISON COUNTY, 7 p.m.

Other NKyTribune prep football previews:
Conner
Dixie Heights
Walton-Verona
Holmes

Ryle
Bellevue
Brossart
Covington Catholic
Dayton


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One Comment

  1. Jason Maynard says:

    Turner is at Lloyd not holy cross. Look at the line by Head Coach just before the schedule.

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