Print edition: 
A weekly question-and-answer session during the summer with an area high school coach.
In his first year as South's coach, coach Cory Brack led the team to its first football playoff appearance since 1971. After losing to Heights in the first round, South finished the season 5-5. Though the Titans lost some key defensive starters, Brack thinks he can have a successful second season because the returning players have taken the system to heart.
What are you guys focusing on right now?
"Right now, we're working on the weight room. That's top priority. We had our team camp last week, and once we got the fundamentals in and our base stuff, we went into the weight room to try and get a little bit stronger and faster."
How much does this time with your team help in building up the muscle and injury prevention?
"I think it's a key ingredient. If you look at any successful program — Heights, Northwest, Bishop Carroll — the kids have bought in to their weight room program and it's helped them to continue their success. That's what we're trying to do here. It's a key ingredient to injury prevention to help us compete with those big dogs."
You had a pretty good season last year compared to past years. Are your kids buying into what you're doing right now and willing to continue that success?
"We had great buy-in last year, and I think it's carrying over to this year. They've seen what it takes to be successful and it's not easy to be successful and compete in the City League week in and week out. It's taken a lot of hard work on their part. I thank God we had a senior class last year that really bought in and helped the younger kids buy in because they worked so hard."
Did you lose a lot of seniors?
"Yes we did, especially on the defensive side of the ball. We lost a lot of key players that we're going to have to fill in. So it's going to be a struggle, but the kids that we need to do so are buying in and really working hard right now."
Are your new guys prepared enough to continue on the route that you made last season?
"They're getting prepared. They've got a long way to go, just experience-wise. Some of the guys they're replacing are four-year starters. So it's just the game-time experience that they're going to need. It's not anything like lack of ability. Maturity is something that they're going to have to get when it comes to Week 1. They're great kids and they work really hard, so I think it's going to pay off for them.
"We put our best players on defense. I'm kind of going off of what coach (Randy) Dreiling (of Hutchinson) said, but if we can stop them, then we're going to have a chance. If we can't stop them, then it's going to be a long season. So we have to put our best athletes, our best players, on defense. We concentrate everything on defense, so that's where we've got to have the buy-in, and that's why it's so key for those guys to come in and get that experience so it's not such a big drop off."
What about your offensive tendency of pounding the ball last year?
"That philosophy hasn't changed, because if we can shorten the game then that favors us. If we can get our defense to where we want, then I think we can be competitive in every game and win some of those games that we should."
Is a goal of advancing in the playoffs realistic for your team?
"Playoffs are realistic, but we've got to do the little things first. We've got to get through Weeks 1-6, then stay healthy. Hopefully we improve so much through there that we're at the spot we need to be successful. But it all starts with the kids. If they work hard and do the things right, then I think we can be (successful). North, Campus, Northwest are all pretty good teams and they're bringing back some players. Our goal is one week at a time. If our kids are looking at North High on Week 7, it's going to be a long season. Our goal is to be 1-0 each week and compete no matter what the score is."
—Chris Elliott
