Fisher, Trojans moving together quickly

GREENWICH — Derek Fisher was put on the fast track. The first-time head coach took the South Central head football coaching job four months ago. It has quickly become time to showcase what he has implemented the Trojans have learned in that time when the season opens Friday. "I just got the job in April, but I cannot be more pleased with the kids' effort," Fisher said. "We opened up the weight room this summer and made it optional, and a lot of kids showed up. We were here at 7 a.m. and we had probably 85 percent attendance every day. Even with summer, working, and vacations, the kids are definitely willing to work and put in the time." Fisher spent the last 12 seasons coaching at Mansfield Madison. He is a graduate of Mansfield Senior High School, but his family has deep roots in Shelby. In fact, he has two family members that are in the Shelby High School athletic Hall of Fame. "I think the kids were encouraged from last year," Fisher said. "Getting that extra playoff game was big for them and getting an extra week of practice was huge. The enthusiasm and morale around here has been great. They've welcomed me with open arms. I think they're excited to learn. They're sponges right now. They're excited to see what's going to happen and see how high we can go." Numbers in the sport of high school football are down almost everywhere, and that includes at South Central. But Fisher is OK with that, and happy with what he does have out. "I'm not discouraged by the numbers. We're right around 30 kids," Fisher said. "We are always plugging away trying to get more guys. We also want to make sure we have the right guys. We don't want to just take guys just for the sake of having them. We want to make sure it is a two-way fit — that they're comfortable with us and we're comfortable with them. For the most part, I can't complain. We asked a lot of these guys this summer." OFFENSE The Trojans' offense was pretty steady last year, scoring double-digit points in every game except one. The biggest problem for South Central is big playmakers like Brandon Mitchell, Isaac Blair, and Hagen Adams have graduated. Mitchell completed 192-of-288 passes for 2,089 yards with 27 touchdowns with Blair being his top target. Blair tallied 92 receptions for 1,153 yards and 19 TDs while Adams recorded 45 catches for 423 yards and six scores before being injured. "We're going to have a lot of guys playing different positions from what they played last year," Fisher said. "We're implementing new coaches. We're asking them to buy in and maybe do some things they haven't done in the past. They might do some similar things, but call it different stuff." With a lot of the production from last season graduated, that means a plethora of new opportunities for younger kids to take their turn to shine. A lot of shifting has gone on over the summer. "We have a couple kids that are returning starters, but I think all of them are being asked to play a different role than they've played in the past," Fisher said. "Right now, our offense is led by our junior quarterback Aaron Hauler. He was a tailback last year. Our outside guys are a couple seniors, Eric Sanders and Cardey Cook. Then, we have a couple unproven guys on the inside." Hauler was the top rusher last year with 113 carries for 529 yards and four touchdowns. Mitchell was right behind with 117 attempts for 489 yards and three TDs. New faces will abound in the backfield and offensive line as well. "At running back, Gunner Ray is a senior and he's going to play a role for us," Fisher said. "We have a couple other kids like Greyson Fisher and Hayden Dobias that have both been stepping up. Cole Frankart is another kid that is going to contribute for us… up front, we're replacing all five starters on the offensive line. "We had a couple guys that got some spot play last year. For the most part, we're going to be fielding a whole new team there. We'll be implementing new things there and new stuff for them. But they've been responding well to it." DEFENSE The defensive side of the ball was woeful at times last season for South Central. The Trojans allowed 42 or more points six times including 65 in a season-ending playoff loss at Salinesville Southern. "We are doing defense by committee. We're implementing a system that we're tooling with a little bit and we're trying to see where we're going to put guys and where guys fit the best," Fisher said. "We're in the same boat defensively. We're going to be young all across the board. "We're trying to get guys to grow up quickly and fly around and make plays. But they have to see how they fit into our scheme. We always talk about being your 1/11th, don't try to do someone else's job or do too much. Right now, they're trying to figure out where they fit in that scheme." The top three tacklers from last year — Braden Kiesel (129 tackles), Gage Lauderman (105), and Brandon Smith (92) — are all gone. Hauler was fourth on the team with 75 tackles while Ray added 60 stops. Catering to your strengths on your team is always key. Fisher thinks there are many options available, but getting into a groove will be crucial early in the season when South Central faces teams like Willard, Northmor, and Ashland Crestview. "We're trying to see what works," Fisher said. "We're trying to get some more options available for us. We're trying to see what works best for us, but we're trying to play complementary football. We're looking at what our offense is doing and what our defense is doing and try to marry the two together." Of the 29 players out, eight are seniors. They will carry the torch early for the Trojans as all the pieces of the puzzle come together as one cohesive unit. "We have a couple seniors that just came out for the first time," Fisher said. "My job as a head coach is to give them the best possible experience I can give them. I've had some great mentors along the way that I've learned from and I've molded myself from them. "You have to lean on that group and that's the group that is going to be the best leaders, fill the most roles, and lead by example."