Cheer tries to keep the morale up, drill performs at half time, and, yet, the crowd goes… silent? That was what an average football game looked like last year with a record of three and seven. This year, the stands are packed despite the weather, and the players are celebrated for their nine and two record. This caused many fans to wonder: what was the change? 

Head coach Steve Valach attributed this years’ success to a number of things, one being experience. 

“We’ve had quite a few senior players who have been in the program since their freshman year,” Valach said. 

Assistant coach Cameron Talley agreed:

“It’s one of the best senior classes we’ve had.”

Not only that, but their physicality stood out. 

“We were going to hit and play super hard,” Valach said.

While that may have contributed to their record, when asked, the coaches agreed the major change was within the team. 

“I’d say the biggest change was senior leadership,” Talley said. 

“We have really strong leadership this year, and it all started with the leadership camp,” Valach said. 

Assistant coach Andrew Hall, the camp creator, elaborated: 

“I was just looking at ways we could change, and we didn’t feel that far off,” Hall said. “Last year, there were games where we were close, but we were just missing an aspect.” 

Valach continued on Hall’s idea. 

“We realized the senior leaders needed to emerge and take charge, so we taught them how to empower, lead, and hold each other accountable,” Valach said. 

Hall commented on how they put that idea in motion. 

“The coaches and selected players started meeting this last February. We met once a month to start building ideas on what the team could be,” Hall said. 

To help spark ideas in the players’ heads, Hall had set up a specific regimen. 

“We watched examples like “The Blue Angels” to look at excellence, “Man in the Arena: Tom Brady” to see how the Patriots were successful, and many others – all while noting ideas, figuring out how we can relate it to what we do, and how it looks on the football field,” Hall said.

With this, the team was able to set the norm for the season. 

“They put together a list that applies all season during training, in the classroom, and on game day,” Valach said. “They’re based on important questions: Who are we, and what are our standards in those areas?” 

The coaches all felt similarly about the idea of the players leading. 

“As coaches, we still feel that pressure to lead, but if it’s always coming from us, it doesn’t work,” Hall said. 

“When you’re trying to develop leaders, you realize the ideas have to come from within the group, organically,” Talley said. “It makes more of an impact.”

The team as a whole followed a philosophy the leaders created. 

“Non-negeotiables. If you say it, we’re going to do it,” Valach said. “If it’s a standard, then everybody does it. If you say you’re going to earn it, then what does that look like? As a result, we executed better and our defense was phenomenal.” 

The leaders found themselves with a new responsibility. 

“They had to be willing to hold their peers accountable and have those uncomfortable conversations,” Talley said. 

The coaches put the leadership into place by doing numerous activities. 

“We practiced leadership in the half season. Everything from doing synchronized jumping jacks to pushups,” Valach said. “At first the coaches led it, but then we passed it on to our leaders.”

The coaches saw how they balanced their authority while being a team player, creating a welcoming environment.

“The underclassmen saw how the seniors, in particular, embraced them, and made them feel a part of a team,” Hall said.

While many seniors were chosen for the camp, the coaches strategically selected players, wanting to continue this onto the next year.

“We had a mix of freshmen and sophomores also attend, hoping to build and grow it,” Hall said. 

Because the newfound leadership was throughout the team, not just amongst the seniors, it not only caused a change in record, but a change in relationships.

“Them building trust within, relying on one another, and being willing to work hard for each other is really the whole idea behind football,” Talley said. 

The coaches saw the effects of their leadership and held it in a high regard. 

“A leader is the hardest worker, always,” Talley said. “You can’t take days off, plays off, or anything like that.”

The team advanced to the 3A State Football Tournament, but the coaches acknowledged the success wasn’t solely because of the leadership. 

“They do team dinners on Thursdays before our games; The linemen do linemen dinner; There’s a skills group dinner; those are all things that I think have been really good for the guys,” Talley said.

“There’s 11 guys. Everybody has a specific job to do. If you’re not disciplined at doing your job, it hurts the defense,” Valach said. “When all 11 do it the way they’re supposed to, it all fits together.”

While the team saw great improvements this season, the coaches made sure to remind the players about what’s important. 

“One of the key aspects is that they’re at their best when they’re having fun and not getting too uptight or too nervous,” Hall said. “In the end, they just enjoy being together.”