New Homewood-Flossmoor Coach Sets Bar High

HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR (CBS) -- A trip downstate is on the line this weekend in high school football.

Homewood-Flossmoor has been waiting two years to get another shot at Mt. Carmel, after the Caravan ran roughshod over the Vikings 49-0 in the 2008 playoffs. As CBS 2's Megan Mawicke reports, this is an unlikely rematch nobody expected to see.

Craig Buzea was just hired as Homewood-Flossmoor's coach in January and inherited a 1-8 team. So what did he do? Well, It's more like what didn't he do.

"We've basically changed about everything," Buzea said, citing a dress code and behavior and attendance expectations for players. "We set very high expectations and we think that is only the way you're going to get to where we are, and they've bought into it."

"He supplied the athletes with not only support but also motivation," says Homewood Flossmoor defensive lineman Michael Rouse.

What's stunning is that Homewood Flossmoor has 95 players on their roster. That is nearly double the Bears roster. Depth can be a luxury, but it's also a lot of work. Still, it's a philosophy Coach Buzea strongly believes in.

"Kids get more out of being in a solid program than just winning and losing. Their learning a lot of life lessons. They'll take those experiences and hopefully put them to use as they become young men and family men along the way," he said.

In such a short time, the Vikings have been transformed into a 10-2 team and boast their best record since 1993. Now they're just one win away from the state title game.

"I think the strength of this team is our spirit. It's the spirit all around us, all of our fans and the people that come out to support us," says Antoine Dantzler, Homewood Flossmoor Linebacker"

So, is the spirit going to take the team downstate? 

"I know the spirit is going to take us downstate," Dantzler said.