Coach’s Corner
Coach Mark Mariakis
Q: How would you characterize this year’s team?
A: This is a confident team with high character, and they really care for each other.
Q: What will be the keys to your success?
A: Having our young, inexperienced players prepared to help at starting and backup positions quickly.
Q: Who will be your key leaders on the team?
A: Matthew Mercer (Sr., QB), Justin Wheeler (Sr., WB), Michael Nelson (Sr., C), Nick
Fulmer (Sr., TE), and Ian Gaines (Jr., TB).
Q: What are your biggest reasons for optimism?
A: The number of experienced players we have on both sides of the ball.
Q: What will keep you up at night?
A: How quickly we can grasp a new offense and depth at all positions.
Q: What can you build on from last year?
A: The confidence from winning and understanding hard work.
Q: Any lessons learned from last year?
A: You must be able to play physical.
Q: Will we see anything different this year?
A: The offense will look a little different, but have similar characteristics to last year.
Q: How would you characterize your team’s speed?
A: We’ll have spots on the field with good speed, but we could always use more!
Coach’s View
Like every coach, I hope we’ll have a positive early start to the season to build momentum. Our schedule is tough from top to bottom, with most teams returning a large number of starters. Because of our lack of numbers and depth, keeping players healthy and on the field will be key!
Photos courtesy of CCS