Summit Academy football faces different challenges than the rest of the teams in Butler County. Third-year head coach Anthony Becoate once again has a new group of players to work with after an 0-10 effort a year ago.

With a larger roster comes more opportunities, however, something Becoate is excited about.

It’s not just football, it’s life.

Becoate is aware of the difficulties of leading his program. He’s learned how to navigate it all in the pair of seasons under his belt.

The Knights have just one returning player from their team a season ago, which isn’t anything new for him. It also allows him throw 2023’s winless effort out the window.

“Having the turnover like that, the good thing is it’s always a breath of fresh air,” Becoate said. “Sometimes we have habits ... whether it’s good things or bad things, but with a new group of kids it’s literally like erasing a whiteboard and starting all over again.”

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Becoate is also a supervisor in the building, which allows him to get to know his players on a personal level.

“It’s not just football, it’s life,” Becoate said. “That’s what I’ve grown to appreciate more with my own high school (football) career. Most of the male influences that I’ve had were my former coaches. I know how much of an impact we have on these guys. We try to teach them the X’s and O’s, but we also talk to them about real life.

“My biggest motto for these guys is ... things don’t get easier, you just deal with hard things better. That’s our way of attacking things.”

Some of Becoate’s former players keep in touch, updating him on their progression.

“A lot of our kids, they go back to their regular high school,” Becoate said. “One of the kids, he was from the eastern part of the state. He was probably our best player last year, Kye’Mere Robinson. ... He just reached out to me not too long ago. He was at a 7-on-7 camp, and he has some interest in Division I.”

Seeing players find success is a big part of why Becoate does the work he does. He wants those he guides get better opportunities through the things they learn from the game.

“The biggest thing is teaching them that nothing comes easy,” Becoate said. “Sometimes they come out and a lot of our kids (have) never experienced football before, so they don’t understand how much hard work goes into it. ... It’s about letting them know that when you work hard for something and you commit to it, you get the positive results.”

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1. Doing it different

Typical high school football programs have exponentially more continuity than Summit Academy does. The Knights don’t have the luxury of a youth system that feeds ready-made players to the varsity stage.

“If you’re at a traditional program where (the) kids have run through the midget system and they run the playbook or once they get to high school they run the playbook for one, two years and get better,” Becoate said. (Here), it’s like studying for a final exam the weekend before.“

The Knights’ roster sits in the mid-30s, lifting some of the stress Becoate was left to deal with during game preparation last season.

“More bodies is always better,” Becoate said. “Being able to do scout team offense, defense and get actual looks. Last year was kind of handicapped because we might just have (had) offense going against air.”

The increased numbers provide many more options than before, as well.

“With more numbers, we have a better chance of having more athletes on the field,” Becoate said. “Last year, I felt like we had about four or five guys that were deemed as playmakers. This year, I’m just as confident — if not more confident — in our skill guys.”

2. More utility players than before

Becoate deployed Robinson all over the field last year — in the pistol at quarterback, at running back, or out wide. Summit Academy has a player or two that Becoate can see in a similar utility role. Becoate cannot name specific players until media waivers have been approved.

He’s also expecting more out of this year’s offensive line.

“Last year, any time we run-blocked, it was primarily dives and stretches,” Becoate said. “This year, we want to try to get some pulls and trapping with our guards and tackles, misdirection. We’ve been more directing of just running down hill.”

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2. Boon at quarterback

The Knights had a shaky situation at quarterback last year. This time around, Becoate and his staff have a competition at signal-caller, between one athletic passer and another with a natural arm.

“As an offensive playcaller, I’m intrigued with the opportunities that I have (with) trying to figure out what their strengths and weaknesses are,” Becoate said.

* connotes division/conference game