Last season, the Raiders finished with a 4-7 record. Looking back, what are your overall feelings about the season, and what key takeaways have you brought into the coming season?
After graduating 15 seniors who had experienced tremendous success (13 which were starters) at the end of the 2022 season, we knew that the 2023 season would be a season of growth. In fact, I told several people during the 2023 summer and preseason that I thought we would be a four to six win team that fall. In reality, we probably should've won five. I think everyone would agree that we let the Mount Vernon game slip away from us. I also made an unintentionally bold statement that if our defense could hold teams to 24 points or less per game, I thought we had the chance of seeing some success. Our defense did in fact rise to the challenge. Unfortunately, we struggled all season on the offensive side of the ball; averaging only 18 points per game and getting shut out of two games which hadn't happened in our program since 2010. In addition to a beefier schedule and inexperience at several key positions, the team struggled with some complacency; seeming to forget how we achieved the success we had during the previous three seasons. We also had some real team chemistry and character issues in our locker room that I wasn't fully aware of until after the season was over. Moving forward into the 2024 season, our group appears to be better focused, more mentally and physically mature and thus far have established a much better environment in the locker room, weight room and on the field at practice.
This year’s schedule looks even tougher with the addition of strong teams like Glenwood (Illinois) and Rolla. With the new additions to the schedule, how do you plan to maintain the team’s focus and morale throughout what looks to be a challenging schedule?
During my tenure, I've always tried to be 100 percent transparent with our teams in terms of the skill level of the competition we are playing. At our post season meeting last December, I communicated to the team that the 2024 season would be (at least on paper) the toughest schedule we have played in my tenure as Head Coach with our opponents having a winning percentage during their 2023 campaigns just over 58 percent. The 2024 schedule will also feature 5 power run teams, 4 district finalists and the 2023 Class 4 runner up. We have to be mentally and physically ready each week to line up across from teams that are happy controlling the clock and limiting our possessions. We talk a lot about being physically and mentally ready for the grind of the upcoming season and have worked a lot this summer trying to improve our own physical play style.
Which players do you see as potential difference-makers for the Raiders this year, and how have they developed during the offseason?
Our returning starters (8 offensive and 7 defensive) should hopefully all be difference makers for the 2024 Raiders. These guys all gained a ton of experience last season and were able to make some tremendous strides in the weight room during the off season. Mentally, this group knows what to expect from Friday Night football as opposed to getting the baptism by fire so to speak that they experienced last year.
How are you integrating the newer players into the team dynamic, and what role do they play in your strategy for the season?
Fortunately because of our youthfulness last season we should be a much more seasoned team in 2024. One position where we are extremely young this year is at Quarterback where we are expecting sophomore Braydee McClure to be the starter. We believe that Braydee can be a dual threat quarterback, forcing people to defend him in both our passing and run games. Braydee has made tremendous strides this summer both mentally and physically. He is a student of the game, prepares well, has worked hard, asks good questions about our offense and holds himself accountable. As a result of his demeanor and work ethic, our team has developed a tremendous amount of respect for him and have really rallied around him.
The Raiders have a long-standing tradition of success at North County. How does the history of the program influence your coaching philosophy, and how do you instill that legacy into your current players?
Unfortunately, long standing tradition is probably being a little generous if you look at season records. From 1991 to 2005 the program produced 13 winning seasons, appeared in 11 district finals and won 7 district championships. From 2006 to 2023 the program has only produced 6 winning seasons, appeared in just 2 district finals and won 1 district championship. As a longtime Raider and a guy who has been around the program either as a player, fan or coach for a majority of my life, seasons such as the 2023 one really sting. Putting a team on the field that is competitive and that the community can be proud of is something I've always taken seriously and will continue to strive to do as long as I am in the position I am in. Regarding philosophy, my coaching philosophies are greatly a result of the time I got to spend around Coach Haug, AuBuchon and Lotz in my days as a young assistant; as well as the five years I worked under Coach (Jeromy) McDowell before he entered the ranks of collegiate coaching. All of those guys have their roots in the "Glory Days" of Raider Football and I have always been grateful for the time they invested in me teaching, mentoring and helping me better understand the game.
Opening the season at home against your rivals, the Farmington Knights, is always a significant game. How do you approach preparing the team for such an important matchup, especially as it’s the season opener?
Our game against the Knights is always one of the best atmospheres of each season. Both communities seem to always look forward to the game. One of the things I like about the past few years is that, although it is definitely still a rivalry game, it seems to have become more of a friendly rivalry (at least the way I see it) as opposed to the bitterness that the rivalry used to hold. Obviously, a win week one is huge for all programs. But the reality is it's only one game. And it's a culmination of all 9 "regular season" games that matter as far as district seedings are concerned. In the end we just want to stay healthy, get better each week and hopefully be playing our best football by week 10 when it matters. The years we have done that in my tenure, we've been satisfied at the end. The years that we haven't have made for a long winter and spring.
The North County Raiders kick off their 2024 football season at home against their rivals, the Farmington Knights, in what promises to be an exciting week 1 matchup. Under the Friday night lights in Bonne Terre, the Raiders will take the field at 7:00 PM on Friday, August 30th.