Menu
Thunderbirds use summer to prepare for this fall
LITTLE CINCINNATI -- A new coach likes what he’s seen of the Eastern-Greene football team.
Travis Wray, who was hired in the spring to replace former coach Joey Paridaen, said he likes the dedication the Thunderbirds have shown over the summer. He said six players have been to each one of the team’s workouts, and more than 85 percent of them have attended 95 percent or more of those sessions.
“I’m proud of the dedication I’ve had,” Wray said.
About 35 to 38 players will turn out at 6:00 p.m. Monday for the team’s first practice, Wray estimated. He said a few more players should join the squad when school starts so he expects the roster to contain around 40 kids.
The seniors on Eastern’s roster are working hard, Wray said, and they won’t be satisfied resting on their laurels. He said they don’t want a let-up.
“I’ve been really proud of this team,” Wray said. “Last year and the season that team had are really pushing this year’s team to be better.”
Last year’s team certainly enjoyed a banner season, compiling an 11-4 record and winning the second sectional title in school history as they reached the Nov. 24 Class 1A championship only to fall 42-14 to Pioneer.
The Thunderbirds have scrimmaged against several other teams this summer, Wray continued. About 30 or 31 players attended a football camp at Indiana University in early June.
Also in early June, the Eastern footballers visited Evansville North to scrimmage against the Huskies, Paridaen’s new team. In four years at the helm of the red and black, Paridaen guided the Thunderbirds to a 34-15 record, the first two sectional titles in school history, and last fall’s trip to Indianapolis.
Wray noted the team recently made a trip to Lawrenceburg where they held four scrimmages over two days. They not only faced the Tigers, who reached the 3A regional field last year, they scrimmaged with North Decatur, a foe the Thunderbirds could meet if they make this fall’s semistate.
“We got some great workouts against Lawrenceburg and North Decatur,“ Wray said. “It was a great atmosphere for two days. It was four practices. To beat and bang on someone else is always good.”
The action continues this week as the players will concentrate on weightlifting and outdoors conditioning during “Hell Week.” “This is not a fun week for them,” Wray said.
Next week, the players will live and work in the gym from Thursday night through Saturday evening. Not only will they work out, Wray said, they will focus on “building brotherhood and the team that I want.
“Games are won and lost on the work you do on the weightlifting and conditioning,” he added. “They understand that the results are in the weeks they get championships.”
The new coach said he wants to see the Thunderbirds grow “physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually,” and they seem to be doing that.
The T-Birds will soon get a chance to demonstrate their prowess. The first and second teams, both offense and defense, will play each other in the Red and Black Game at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. “Hopefully, that will be a good time for our community,” Wray said.
They will visit Brown County on Friday, Aug. 10, for a scrimmage, and the regular season begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, when Eastern hosts Springs Valley in the season opener.