New Prairie aims to leave last year is in the past, set sights on a successful 2026

NEW PRAIRIE, Ind. -- It's hard to believe, but high school football is back.

For week zero, we're heading to New Prairie where the Cougars host the Michigan City Wolves.

Things didn't go as well in 2025 as first year New Prairie head coach Ryan O'Shea would've hoped, with his team going 3 and 7, their worst finish since 2011.

But after some adjustments, O'Shea and his team are ready to get back out there and show everyone 2025 is in the past, and it's time to focus on 2026.

"Last year can't ever happen again," said O'Shea.

To say the 2025 season left a bad taste in the mouth of the New Prairie football team would be an understatement. This came after four consecutive years winning at least 9 games under former head coach Casey McKim.

O'Shea says things are different in year two for him.

"Learning who the kids are, that's the biggest thing, learning who they are, how they operate, learning how I operate, and having that relationship, and building those relationships, that's the biggest thing, and they're comfortable with me. I'm comfortable with them now, so it's been a lot easier going into year two for sure," said O'Shea.

Having a good relationship with your student athletes is the first step, but O'Shea faces a tall task many high school football coaches know all too well - replacing a senior quarterback.

That's where junior quarterback Charlie Luczkowski takes the stage.

"Intensity and leadership. I feel like I just bring it every practice and that's all that I can do to do my job for this team," said Luczkowski.

O'Shea and the coaching staff will rely heavily on the junior to be a driving force on the offense.

But before Luczkowski can sling the rock down field, he must have good protection up front, which is where Leroy Atherton and the rest of the boys up front are putting in the work.

"I know that I have to step up and it's not putting more pressure on me, I know I have to do my job and it just makes me want to do my job more, it's not any more pressure, just performing," said Atherton, New Prairie senior right guard and nose guard.

On the defensive side of the ball, New Prairie gave up an average of more than 42 points per game to opponents last year, O'Shea says that can't happen again if they want to succeed in 2026.

"Get back to our roots and get back to being that kind of defense, that's the number one thing, having that attitude, bringing the wood every single week, that's what we're going to be about, having that confidence," said O'Shea.

After Friday's scrimmage, New Prairie will welcome La Porte to Amzie Miller Field on Aug. 21 to kick off their season.