In the offseason, Gardner figured he would be on the sophomore team this fall, seeing that the Bulldogs were loaded at receiver. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” Gardner said. “I was in the weight room working out with my buddies. He came up to me, and I had never really talked to him before. “He asked if I could play safety. I was like, ‘I can do it.’ I just want to play.” Gardner was willing to give it a shot and, boy, are the Bulldogs glad he did. Rita (8-4) at 2 p. m. Saturday for a state semifinal game in Chicago. As the strong safety, Gardner leads the Bulldogs with 86 tackles, picking up his production even more as the playoffs have gone on. He has 27 tackles the past two weeks alone. “With his movement skills, speed and tackling, we thought it was a good spot for him. “He really stuck out over the summer and stuck to it, worked very hard.” It didn’t always come easily, however. “At first in the summer, it was really hard because as a safety, you have to read and keep your eyes right and make sure you’re reading the receivers,” Gardner said. “It took me a long time to understand route combinations and also tackling.” It led to a memorable moment with defensive backs coach Billy Colamatteo during summer camp. Colamatteo challenged Gardner to get tough and want to tackle. “Preston hit the hole,” Gardner said. “That was my first time really laying it down, and since then, I kind of enjoy hitting.” Holm couldn’t have been happier with the move. “We were going around the room talking about the growth that everyone has had this season,” Holm said of Gardner. “He’s one of the ones that really stand out. “He’s out of position. He’s never played safety before. He’s a good tackler, smart, and he’s done a fantastic job.” The Bulldogs utilize their strong safety in the box often, which has suited Gardner quite well. “People don’t usually like defensive backs to have a lot of tackles, but the way our defense plays, our safeties have a lot of tackles,” Holm said. “You have to be able to recognize pass-run quickly and fill your assignments against the run. “He’s become a very sure tackler. He’s done a great job for us.” This is technically Gardner’s first playoff run on varsity as well. He was along for the ride in a reserve role last season, but being in the mix has been a whole different feeling. “It’s definitely been very emotional,” Gardner said. “I didn’t experience the true feelings of the games. Now that I’ve experienced it, I realize how much has to go right for you to win.” He’s not just experiencing it. He’s going to have to be a big part of slowing down an explosive St. “I’ve been getting a lot more confident in my play,” Gardner said. “I know what’s happening. We’ve come a long way and we’ve progressed as a group, so I’m really happy about that.” Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/luke-gardner-batavia-ihsa-football/
Tag: coordinator
Former NICU patients reconnect with medical team at Broward Health for special reunion
**Broward Health Medical Center Hosts Heartwarming NICU Reunion to Honor National Prematurity Awareness Month**
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) — Broward Health Medical Center recently held a sweet reunion for former neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients and their parents. The event, organized to honor National Prematurity Awareness Month, brought together several families who received care in the hospital’s NICU.
Many of the children in attendance are now older, and their parents had the opportunity to reconnect with the dedicated doctors and nurses who helped deliver and care for their babies during those critical early days.
7News cameras captured the heartwarming scenes of families enjoying food, games, and much more throughout the celebration.
“My goal here is to have everyone meet each other and create a community of NICU parents so that they can lean on each other as they raise their kids,” said Eva Taylor, NICU Family Support Coordinator.
The reunion served as an inspiring reminder of hope and resilience for families currently navigating similar challenges with their newborns. It also highlighted the importance of building supportive networks among NICU families.
Commanders defensive coordinator makes surprising admission
Sometimes in life, you think you really understand what happened. But then you learn a few more pieces of the puzzle, and suddenly you realize you had it all wrong.
That was the case with the recent announcement that Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt was moving down to the sidelines during games.
The Commanders’ defense has been struggling severely, leaving receivers wide open time and time again. With their fourth consecutive loss on Sunday against Seattle, the defense surrendered four touchdowns in the Seahawks’ first four possessions. It seemed obvious that head coach Dan Quinn had seen enough and confronted Whitt, demanding a significant change. After all, the defense’s recent performance had been completely unacceptable, and Whitt’s current approach appeared mostly ineffective.
Surely, Quinn told Whitt he wanted him down on the sideline starting this week against Detroit. Surely, Quinn emphasized the need for Whitt to be more involved with his defensive personnel on the field when the offense had possession of the ball.
But no— I had it wrong. All wrong.
During his Thursday press conference, Whitt surprised everyone by revealing that it was actually him who went to Quinn to ask if he could move down to the sideline on game days.
Whitt explained that he preferred being up in the press box because it gave him a better view of the entire defense and the offensive personnel changes. However, he added, “A couple of guys have been asking for me to come down as well. And so, I think it’s time for that to happen.”
“We gotta do whatever we have to do to get a win,” Whitt continued. “The play has not been, especially this last week, to the standard at all. And like I said, that starts with me. I gotta do a better job getting the coaches to get the players to understand how we’re going to do it.”
Wow. This was not the narrative I “knew” at all.
This change was not initiated by Dan Quinn. It was not a decision imposed because terrible situations demanded a shakeup. Nor was it a mandate from the head coach about altering Whitt’s method on game days.
Instead, it was Whitt’s own idea—a proactive step from the defensive coordinator himself.
Now, with this new development, I’m not quite sure what to make of it either. But this much is clear: sometimes, what we think we understand is far from the entire story.
https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/commanders/2025/11/07/washington-commanders-joe-whitt-surprising-admission/87136696007/
Bills Coach Sean McDermott Hints at Looming Changes for James Cook
The Buffalo Bills struggled to move the ball in last week’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, scoring just one second-half touchdown despite some improved efforts from their defense. The team faced scrutiny after the game for their usage of running back James Cook, who was on the field for a little more than half of the offensive snaps despite being one of the most effective players.
### Bills Failed to Utilize James Cook
Throughout the season, the Bills have regularly taken Cook off the field on third downs, opting to insert backup Ty Johnson for his stronger blocking ability. This approach continued against the Falcons, with Cook participating in just over 50% of the offensive snaps.
Longtime Bills reporter and WGR 500 host Howard Simon was critical of the team’s decision post-game. “James Cook snap count last night was 52.6%. His 2nd lowest of the season,” Simon wrote on X. “Lowest was in the blowout win over the Jets. As per ESPN, Cook was not on the field for any of the Bills’ 9 plays on 3rd down or their 1 play on 4th down. That’s inexcusable.”
### Coaching Staff Responds
Head coach Sean McDermott has already addressed the issue. Speaking to reporters this week, he revealed that he has discussed Cook’s usage with offensive coordinator Joe Brady, emphasizing the importance of getting more out of their top running back moving forward.
“Joe and I have already talked about that to some extent today. It’s important to keep that in mind going forward,” McDermott said.
McDermott also touched on a specific late-game decision when the Bills called an end-around to wide receiver Elijah Moore on a failed third-and-one situation. While he didn’t openly criticize the play call itself, McDermott stressed the need for better execution: “Whatever play we call, we have to execute it at a higher level.”
Despite these challenges, Cook still managed 17 carries for 87 yards in Monday’s loss. However, his role in the passing game has diminished. He is currently averaging just 2.0 receptions for 14.8 receiving yards per game—the lowest since his rookie season when he split snaps with running backs Devin Singletary and Zack Moss.
### Bills Could Add Help at Trade Deadline
The Bills have now dropped two straight games, falling into a tie with the New England Patriots atop the AFC East. Currently, the Patriots hold the tiebreaker, raising the stakes for Buffalo as the season progresses.
After offensive struggles in recent weeks, some insiders suggest the Bills could look to bolster their roster before the upcoming NFL trade deadline. Sal Maiorana of the Democrat and Chronicle pointed to Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers as a potential target but also emphasized the possibility of elevating Gabe Davis from the practice squad.
“In his four seasons with the Bills, Davis averaged 16.7 yards per reception and caught 27 touchdown passes,” Maiorana wrote. “The now-injured Joshua Palmer is averaging 16.7 yards, but it’s on just 14 catches, one of which was a 45-yarder Monday. Among the receivers who get the lion’s share of the snaps, Shakir is 10.7 yards per catch, Coleman 9.9.”
As the Bills look to regain their offensive spark, increased involvement from players like James Cook and potential roster upgrades could be key to turning their season around.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/buffalo-bills/bills-sean-mcdermott-hints-changes-james-cook/