First-and-Ten Football Notebook: Miami Trace entering new era

The seventh two-a-day football practice visit for the 2012 First-and-Ten Football Preview took me to Miami Trace High School, where there is a new mentality with the football program with the arrival of new head coach Steve Bartlett, who has 32 years of coaching experience, including 26 years as a varsity head coach.

It was nice getting to meet Coach Bartlett on Friday following a two-a-day practice, of which I saw the last hour or so. Coach Bartlett said he wants to bring the tradition of Miami Trace football back to the field on Friday nights, but it will take some hard work … work that he said his players are putting in … to regain that past glory of winning league titles and advancing to the playoffs.

Coach Bartlett has previously coached at Southeastern (South Charleston) for eight seasons and Dayton Carroll for 16 seasons. Last year, he took the season off from coaching, but he told me in his office on Friday afternoon he was ready to get back into coaching … and the players at Miami Trace were his type of players.

As for the practices I got to watch, as I've told folks I've talked to during the first week of the football tour, I love watching teams practice, sometimes even more than the actual games … as it gives me a chance to watch players learn the play, and through continuous repetition, get the play down the way it was drawn up. (Maybe I'm just a football junkie).

Anyway, things seem to be on the upside for the Panthers as they do return players with varsity experience, and with a new, but veteran head coach, the Panthers look to regain their storied tradition … starting this season.

3 Quick Thoughts on Miami Trace
1. They love repetition and making sure their plays are going to be run the right way. Watching their practice on Friday afternoon, I noticed, and even Coach Bartlett told me, his team will learn the new system by repetition.

2. The Panthers have a lot of experience at the skill positions retiring, especially at quarterback with Jimmy Stroker returning for his junior season. Last season, Stroker gained the varsity experience, and it will be fun to see him take what was learned from last season into the year.

3. I believe Miami Trace has a bright future in the SCOL. Once Coach Bartlett gets the football program the way he wants it to be, there is no doubt the Panthers can be a success in the league.

Two Must-See Games
1. Week 2 (Aug. 31) at Wilmington — This has to be one of the oldest match-ups in the state as these two teams have played each other for many years. It's a former SCOL rivalry, and it is one of the better rivalries in the area. Last season, Wilmington defeated MT, 16-10.

2. Week 10 (Oct. 26) at Washington — There is a trophy on the line between these two teams each year, and it's the rivalry for bragging rights in Fayette County. The Blue Lions have won this game the past couple seasons.

Who to Watch
- Jimmy Stroker, quarterback, junior
Played quarterback for Miami Trace last season as a sophomore, a season where the Panthers went 5-5 but won four of their last five games a year ago. Stroker was described by Coach Bartlett as someone who throws the football well, and the entire offense is headed in the right direction.

- Austin Schoellkopf, wide receiver/safety, senior
Schoellkopf is a versatile athlete for Miami Trace as he has the ability to play many positions for the Panthers but is primarily used as a wide receiver offensively and safety on defense.

- Conner Dement, running back, senior
He'll be looked upon to be a part of the Miami Trace running game again this season. Dement is also a member of the MT track and field team and already has two years in varsity action as he enters his senior year.

Player Quote
"After a while, I just start enjoying it … the heat, the hitting, everything, but in the end, I just like hitting people. There is no other sport where you can do all that we do in football." — Derek Muncy, Miami Trace senior guard/tackle on why he goes through the two-a-day practices and why he enjoys the game of football.

Coach Quote
"A different guy jumps out at us every day. There has been a different player that 'wows' us, and the next day it's someone else. As a coach, that is a very good thing to see this time of year." — Steve Bartlett, Miami Trace head coach, on how his first week of two-a-day practices have gone at Miami Trace.

Final Thoughts
Like I wrote earlier, I really feel if given the time, the Miami Trace program can regain some of their past tradition. In just meeting Coach Bartlett and some of his seniors following their practice, it's easy to see they also want to regain that past success, which is a very good mindset to have this time of the season.

Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of the Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.