Are you ready?
Second Brooks era ushers in Monday
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

With high expectations in the air, Jasper Head Football Coach Thomas Brooks knows what this community expects this fall on the football field.

He expects the same.

"This is my 25th year in coaching and I guess you put pressure on yourself," Brooks said. "I hate to lose and you have to do something to prevent that so I put a lot of pressure on myself to win.

"Jasper football is big and I understand that from being here before," Brooks said. "Everybody knows about Jasper football and the tradition here and we want to represent Jasper for all those guys who have worn the uniform. Those guys put a lot of work to gain that tradition and there's no sense in us stopping it."

His Bulldogs will hit the practice field Monday, Aug. 6 in preparation to bounce back from last year's uncharacteristic 2-8 season.

"It has been a crazy spring coming in April and trying to incorporate our offense and defense without all the coaches," Brooks said. "But we got through it and the kids did a strong job during the summer workouts.

"These are some strong kids who went through a lot and I have a lot of respect for them," Brooks said.

This will be Brooks' second stint as head coach of the Bulldogs. And Brooks added that all the positions are open to competition.

"That's the great thing with a new staff coming in, we don't know the players in the spring and summer," Brooks said. "But when you put the pads on them, it's a whole different story."

Brooks said during the first week of action, he expects to see the leadership come to the top as well as the younger members of the squad take steps towards establishing themselves.

"Since I came here in April, I have a picture in my mind of the guys that are going to be my leaders," Brooks said. "I saw the way these players performed in the spring."

For Brooks, leadership was proven in the summer, when the players had to spend their time preparing for the team's future.

"In the spring, we have school and it's not really their time," Brooks said. "But the summer is their time and for you to come up here and work hard and do it on the time you have off - that plays a big part on whether you are a leader or not. It's hard to be a leader when you don't work hard."

Brooks said he would select the captains on the team this year; that way there is no popularity contest for the posts.

"I think we'll have some good leadership from our seniors," Brooks said of the 20 seniors returning to the team. "I believe that group is going to provide some leadership for us."

He pointed out that a lot of the returning players attended the summer workouts. A lot of the freshmen entering the varsity realm, though, didn't attend as many of the workouts.

"The younger guys are going to be hurting a bit more because they haven't been doing the running and lifting that the older guys have been doing," Brooks said. "Our older guys are in great shape because they have been coming in the mornings at 6:30 a.m. for the summer conditioning program."

Brooks said he was pleased with the summer workouts. When the program started, Brooks had more than 100 there to lift weights and run.

"That first day I was nervous but then I came out and there were around 100 kids," Brooks said. "We didn't have 100 a day and it dwindled down to 55 a day, but it still wasn't that bad."

He admitted that the offense and defensive schemes are a bit behind on the eve of the first workouts.

"We had to take some things slow at the start of spring," Brooks said.

A couple of "Ty's" will head up the offensive and defensive schemes for the Bulldogs this year. Ty Quick returns as the offensive coordinator while Ty Robinson takes over the defensive coordinator's position.

While the defense will run a 4-4 scheme, Brooks said he expects his offensive to run multiple sets throughout the season.

"As the season goes on we are going to see what offense our kids adjust to bests and see what fits our system," Brooks said. "We're not going to be stubborn and do something that is not working or that is just not there."

He said changes to the special teams would also add a new wrinkle for the players to adapt to as well.

"There will be time to work on all of this because the guys are coming in in great shape," Brooks said. "We shouldn't have to work on conditioning as much."

He said for the first four days of practice, he plans on working on teaching different elements of the game.

"Without the pads on, you can't do as much hitting and be physical," Brooks said. "We will go over a lot of techniques but then on Friday (Aug. 10, the first day pads are allowed), we will get more aggressive and physical."

Brooks admitted that he is more excited this year, his 14th as a head coach, than he has been in some time.

"I haven't been this excited in so long," Brooks said. "When you are in a place that you are happy to be, it makes a big difference. It makes you want to come to work every day and do everything you can for these kids and this community."