There is no better time than the present to anoint another Independence Bank Player of the Week. Independence Bank is proud to sponsor a weekly article highlighting players in the areas where Independence Bank flourishes who embody the same type of revolutionary service to their respective football teams which has made Independence Bank unique and special in the banking industry.
Independence Bank has a goal of achieving everyday excellence, and this week we are focusing on a player whose performance has exceeded all expectations in a huge and pivotal season which will see the Red Devils play for a State Title tomorrow, December 19, 2020 against Bowling Green Senior High. Good luck tomorrow guys on your quest for the championship trophy in the 5A classification.
Independence Bank knows doing the seemingly “little things,” the right way makes one a champion. Champions know there really are no “little” things. All things are important to do, and do well, if you want to accomplish a championship level of performance, whether in football or in banking.
Today we honor not just a place-kicker, not just a sophomore, but (perhaps) the finest placekicker in his or any graduating class playing football in our great commonwealth. Today we honor Andrew Lanz (2023), from Owensboro’s “Senior” High School.
Lanz’s Owensboro (Senior) High School is located right down the road from 3 Independence Bank branches on 2425 Frederica Street, 2465 W. Parrish Avenue, and 3228 KY-54, respectively. Get on by and visit the most rapidly growing bank in the commonwealth of Kentucky, Independence Bank. Independence Bank has started a revolution in the banking industry.
Now, we could have taken an easy way out and lobbed some more praise on Gavin Wimsatt (2022). He, against Frederick Douglass, led the offense in both passing and rushing. QB’s get too much criticism when a team losses and (sometimes) too much praise when a team wins. It is the nature of the position.
Treyvon Tinsley (2021) could well have been the focus of this article. He caught 7-passes against Douglass to lead the receiving corp in that category, one of which was for a score, in a game where every single score was needed.
We could have given this award this week to Austin Gough (2021). The hulking, crowned jewel at the LB position in the ’21 class led the defense with 11-stops. Owensboro’s defense contained for the most part an offense from Frederick Douglass with more weaponry than practically any team in Kentucky not named Trinity. Gough, a multiple winner of this award, could have won it one more time.
However, in awarding this week’s recipient, neither Independence Bank nor KPGFootball lost sight of the final margin. The game was 28-27, in favor of the Red Devils.
A statistic many fans take for granted in high school football is that little thing a team has to do after scoring a touchdown. It is universally called a point after touchdown, or PAT for short.
Want to know who has been consistently among the best place-kickers in Kentucky in 2020 in that particular statistic which is most noticed when your favorite team scores 27-points in a 28-27 game? Owensboro’s Andrew Lanz (2023) is the answer for which you may be searching.
Lanz, just a sophomore, has been asked all year to convert PATs for the Red Devils’ offense. Last Friday night, against Frederick Douglass, a team heavily favored to advance though having to travel to Owensboro to play, Lanz was able to do his thing just a tad bit better than Douglass’ placekicker, Cooper Ranvier (2024).
It was a battle of underclassmen thrust into unenviable positions. Andrew Lanz was a sophomore, Cooper Ranvier was just a freshman. Right now, we imagine they both feel about 40-years old.
In a one point margin to decide who traveled to Lexington with a chance to win it all, the semifinal game turned on a battle between two young place-kickers, in spite of all the star power littering both rosters. In the end, Lanz was 4-4, Ranvier was 3-4; and that Robert Frost fans, became the road less traveled…which made all the difference.
On the year, Lanz, in Owensboro’s 11-games, converted 63 of his 64-PATs. That is contributing nearly 6-points a game and converting 98.4% of his attempted place-kicks.
Like we above said, the little things, oftentimes, make a HUGE difference. For the Red Devils to take home a 5A-Title, Lanz’s specialty may just be the area where the Devils will need Andrew Lanz to be Andrew Lanz. One of his PATs tomorrow may comprise the winning margin, and the difference between championship glory and thinking about what might have been.
Congratulations Andrew Lanz, both for your Revolutionary Play which has brought the Red Devils to the precipice of a championship and the performance which will be required tomorrow against Bowling Green (Senior) High to push on through to accomplishing every team’s yearly, ultimate goal. All of it taken together, in toto, has earned Lanz this week’s recognition from the fastest growing bank in the commonwealth of Kentucky, your friends at Independence Bank.
This is Coach HB Lyon, reporting for Kentucky Prep Gridiron and reminding you that WE’RE JUST CALLING IT LIKE WE SEE IT!
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