Steve T. Gorches: Turley doing it the right way at Hobart

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Hobart head coach Ryan Turley works the sideline during the season opener against West Side August 19, 2011. | Jeffrey D. Nicholls~Sun-Times Media

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Updated: November 10, 2011 11:10AM

HOBART — Six weeks ago, which was the last time I saw first-year Hobart football coach Ryan Turley in person, he looked younger than 38 years old.

On Thursday, after the first four games of the regular season, he looked a little older based on what seemed to be more gray hairs.

“I was hoping you didn’t notice,” he said with a smile on his face.

It’s nice the Hobart High graduate still has his sense of humor when his alma mater is 1-3 after three straight losses. But at least the last two weeks were close.

Losing to Crown Point 24-6 in Week 2 wasn’t that hard to take. Losing to rival Griffith 21-13 in Week 3 and losing to Kankakee Valley 22-19 in overtime last week are much harder to swallow.

“There are some things you can’t control (as a coach),” Turley said. “We’re 1-3 and the bottom line is that we lost two close games. We just as easily could be 3-1 and people (would be) thinking life’s great around here.”

Didn’t know life wasn’t great in Hobart. Some nice restaurants. A couple nice theaters and entertainment venues. A nice lake in the middle of town. Some nice parks.

But if you’re a fan of Brickies football, the last three weeks haven’t brought much happiness. Don’t worry. Happy days are on the horizon. At least Turley sees it that way.

“We’re getting better each week. The kids have done exactly what we’ve asked of them work ethic wise. We just haven’t put it all together on Friday nights,” he said. “There have been some points where it looks like things are going well, and at other points we’re shooting ourselves in the foot. I think that’s kind of natural when you have a change-over in staff. They’re getting used to us, we’re getting used to them. The kids haven’t quit on us.”

Right now, that’s real important. It’s easy for high school athletes to get down on themselves when losses are more prevalent than wins.

It’s not going to get any easier for the Brickies. They have Andrean — No. 3 in the state Associated Press poll and No. 2 in the coaches poll — on the road tonight, then Lowell and Munster at the Brickyard, followed by Morton on the road.

“That’s a tough schedule,” Turley said. “It’s the 4A Duneland. There’s no gimmes; it’s a battle every week.”

The light at the end of the tunnel for Hobart fans comes in looking at the rebuilding efforts at Crown Point and Lake Central.

When Chip Pettit arrived at CP in 2001 — Turley was part of his staff — the Bulldogs had lost 14 straight games. They added eight more losses to that dubious streak before winning the last game of the regular season. In Pettit’s second year CP posted an 8-3 mark.

Before its 4-0 start this year, Lake Central had losing records in nine of the previous 10 seasons. Second-year coach Brett St. Germain saw his squad go 2-8 last year before its current surge.

It probably doesn’t sit well with some fans who still fondly remember Hobart’s 19 straight sectional titles (1979 to 1997) and four state titles (1987, 1989, 1991, 1993). No real sports fan likes saying, “Wait ’til next year,” but in high school football, sometimes it’s reality.

It’s not like Turley accepts losing this season.

“It hurts and it should hurt,” he said. “At the high school level it means something out here. It’s not like youth basketball or Pop Warner. We’re not outmatched (on the field). We’ve just got to get it going in the right direction.”

He has plenty of support despite the tough start.

It begins with his staff.

“He’s doing what he should be doing,” longtime Hobart assistant Steve Balash said.

It continues with the school’s administration.

“They know I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself,” Turley said. “They know we’re working hard to get this thing turned around.”

So no worries from his superiors regarding their record?

“Not yet,” Turley said, displaying another sheepish grin.

But at least he’s putting the needs of the kids first. Just as the players were starting to stretch before practice on Thursday, an assistant came up to Turley asking about a couple kids who need to take make-up quizzes Monday for geometry.

The man was one of two “academic coaches” Turley has added to the staff. It’s not something you see at most schools in the area.

“It gets the kids to realize the big picture,” Turley said. “It’s a good thing and the school’s backed us on it. We’re trying to get these kids into college and show them life doesn’t end after football.”

He also has the backing of the football-crazed town.

“The community has given me the utmost support,” Turley said. “I want to get it done for them, that’s for sure. I’m not going to be satisfied until mission accomplished. We have to get it back. The goal is to win championships. We’re never going to lower the bar around here.”

Nor should they, but patience is definitely a virtue that’s needed before the Brickies return to being a fearful foe in Class 4A and in the Northwest Crossroads Conference.