State Champion Lancers Adjust to New Coach

By John Appicello
WSLS10 Sports Anchor
Published: August 1, 2008

  THE TWO-TIME DEFENDING STATE CHAMPION LANCERS ARE BUSY GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH A NEW HEAD COACH, AND A NEW OFFENSIVE FORMATION.
  WELCOME CECIL PHILLIPS FROM KINGS FORK IN SUFFOLK. HE REPLACES SCOTT ABELL AFTER BACK TO BACK STATE TITLES..
    PHILLIPS STARTED THE 3-A PROGRAM AT KINGS FORK FROM SCRATCH, AND SAYS HE GOT SOME IMPORTANT HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE UNDER HIS BELT THERE. BUT AS YOU LISTEN TO COACH PHILLIPS TALK YOU GET THE FEELING THE MOVE TO AMHERST WAS A PRETTY SIMPLE DECISION. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPPORT, AS WELL AS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL FEEDER PROGRAM MAKES AMHERST CO. ONE OF THE TOP JOBS IN THE STATE.
  THE LANCERS WERE 60-12 SINCE 2002—-BUT WILL UNDERGO SOME CHANGES NONETHELESS. COACH PHILLIPS WILL MOVE THE OFFENSE INTO A WING T, AND UTILIZE SOME OPTION. HE SAYS HE’LL ALSO KEEP SOME OF THE OTHER SPREAD ELEMENTS WHICH AMHERST HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL AT .