At first glance, a St. Croix Lutheran football practice looks like any other. But there’s more going on at the West St. Paul school, a subtle difference that has contributed to two Class 3A titles in the past three years, including a wild 48-44 victory over New London-Spicer in the 2013 Prep Bowl.

Coach Carl Lemke says a big reason the school of 445 students has become a perennial power is quite small. It focuses more on how than what.

“Sometimes, as coaches, we talk about who to block and where to go but not what step to take and where to put your helmet,” Lemke said. “We emphasize fine-tuning the little things that the kids do. Keeping it simple but perfect the execution.”

Doing the little things right is the foundation for the Crusaders, a team rarely blessed with top-end talent. It has resulted in an 83-19 record over the past nine seasons. Assistant coach Lucas Oachs, a 2006 St. Croix Lutheran grad, quickly learned that lesson.

“We were playing DeLaSalle. They had players who went on to play Division I football, and here I was, a 180-pound offensive lineman,” Oachs said. “But I got a pancake block in that game because I stuck with the fundamentals.”

Lemke said the key is the daily 7 a.m. coaches meeting. “We meet until quarter-to-8 every day,” he said. “I constantly emphasize, ‘What do you want to accomplish?’ And then coach to reach that goal. Don’t just run a drill for the sake of running a drill. That drill has to be applicable to what you want them to do in a game.”

The constant repetition might be mundane, but the players buy in, understanding the payoff comes at game time.

“We play smart,” senior running back Trevor Koester said. “We run the same plays over and over again until we get them perfect. And everybody loves to win.”

Jim Paulsen