by Rusty Ellis
There’s a new energy around the Livingston Academy locker room as the 2023 season approaches, and much of that can be attributed to first-year head coach Matthan Houser and his staff.
When Houser was hired after the end of the 2022 campaign, he stated he wanted to get back to fundamentals and help build the LA program back up to the proud form many of the people in the Upper Cumberland know it for.
While there’s still quite a bit of work to do, Houser says he’s pleased with how his team looks heading into the new season.
“We have a lot of guys that put a lot of time into this, and there’s coaches all around the Upper Cumberland that do the same,” Houser says of the work his coaching staff has done. “We want them to have a good experience in their time here, and we want them to feel welcomed back here after they leave…(the players) starting to put together more consistency and they’ve had to learn a lot from an offensive and defensive standpoint. They have come a long way in terms of where they were when we got here, and we’ve still got a long way to go.”
Quarterback Brodey Coffee is back as the team’s signal-caller this season, and his confidence appears to grow with each passing scrimmage and 7-0n-7 camp. In their recent scrimmage against Monterey, Coffee showed some real chemistry with receiver Jake Hughes, as they two linked up on a pair of long touchdown receptions.
From Houser’s standpoint, Coffee’s come a long way, especially when you consider what all has been asked of him.
“Brodey’s come such a long way from this Spring, he’s had to process a lot of new information,” Houser said. “That’s difficult when you learn the terminology of one offense and then have to scrap that and learn an entirely new offense. It’s just a process of him getting more and more comfortable.”
Hughes will be relied upon heavily on both sides of the ball, as will returning offensive lineman Kollin Weitzel and newcomer Daniel Bilbrey among others. Bilbrey’s speed will be used heavily both in the passing game and when he lines up as a defensive back. Another newcomer with promise is Dawson Ledbetter, who’s size alone should prove useful in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
And Livingston will need all hands on-deck, as Region 4-4A looks to be as tough as always from top-to-bottom. Adding White County to a region already featuring Macon County, Upperman, Stone Memorial and DeKalb County only makes it more of a grind.
When Houser looks around the region, he says the main thing that sticks out to him is just the pride that everyone in the area takes in their programs.
“The thing that sticks out the most is how important football is to these communities,” Houser said. “They want their football teams to do well, and we’re just so proud to be apart of that. All of the things we’re doing, Livingston is incredibly supportive.”
For 2023 to be a success, the players say they want to get back to winning. Houser’s message has always been bigger than that, as he says he wants that phrase “Hogeye” to mean something.
“A lot of our coaches have a lot of pride in our program, and they preach that pride over and over,” Houser said. “When we have an alumni event and a bunch of former players show up, that means something…it’s a special thing to be apart of and to be a Wildcats, and these guys are buying into that.”
Livingston Academy will take on Trousdale County on Aug. 18 for their season-opener.