Coach’s Corner
Coach Mark Mariakis
Coach’s CornerQ: 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
Ben Moore
Mondo Ellison
Michael Nelson
Justin Wheeler
Matthew Mercer
Ian Gaines
Nick Fulmer
