BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN
Brooks sets sights on returning Jasper football back to prominence
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

When Thomas Brooks first stepped into the Jasper football field house, he saw talent.

He just didn't know how much talent was there.

"When you take over a team that was 2-8 (the previous season), you just don't believe there is that much talent there," Brooks said. "But when I saw the kids, I knew there was talent here."

In fact, the talent on this year's squad has Brooks believing his Bulldogs should earn a Class 3A playoff spot this year.

"Potentially, we can be very good," Brooks said. "We should make the playoffs and go deep in the playoffs and compete for the state championship. We have that kind of talent here.

"But, you have to believe in it and do it," Brooks said. "We are trying to convince them that it can be done but it has to be done the right way."

Brooks said adjusting to this program has been "a bit tougher than I thought it would be."

"I saw the talent and I knew they were hungry but right now, they are not where I would like them to be," Brooks said. "They are getting better and their confidence in growing."

Brooks and his staff are having to crush the memories of last year's disappointing 2-8 season for a large number of the Bulldogs. Fourteen starters return from last year's squad.

"We are trying to bring back that swagger that Jasper had where they came into a stadium believing they were going to win the football game," Brooks said. "Right now, I don't know if we have our swagger back. With these athletes, we can go a good ways in the playoffs."

He said working on the mental aspect of the game will also help the Dawgs when they face those crucial calls during a game.

"When it's fourth-and-one, late in the fourth quarter and you're tired, you have to push through that," Brooks said. "Are you going to give up? When you are going against an opponent like Newton or WO-S, then you have to decide who is going to give it up on that play.

"It's a war every Friday night and you know you're not going to give it up so you keep battling every p l a y , " Brooks said.

Brooks said the non-district schedule of Livingston, Barbers Hill

and Newton will get the Dawgs

ready for the tests that District

21-3A brings.

"I am glad that we have those teams on our schedule because those games are going to do nothing but make us better," Brooks said.