On Top of the World – AFM’s Annual State Champions Survey and Profiles

State champion coaches share their secrets to winning it all. The results may surprise you.

Most high school coaches would agree that their ultimate goal is winning their state championship. Taking home the trophy after the punishing regular season and pressure-filled playoffs is the pinnacle for the 300+ teams that annually achieve that goal.

But do coaches agree on the best methods to use to reach that mountaintop? What offensive, defensive and special teams strategies give you the best shot at raising your own state title trophy? Is there a single factor that is more important than others when it comes to winning?

Every year, AFM’s survey of state champions gives us great insight into the coaches and the teams that have taken home trophies from the previous season’s playoffs. We get detailed demographic information about coaches, their work habits, facts about their players, descriptions of their offensive and defensive systems and more.

But the most valuable information we receive is in the coaches’ comments about what winning the state championship meant to them, their team and their community. Most coaches cite specific factors that played a major role in their championship seasons.

For every coach that mentioned how talented their athletes were or how their offensive or defensive schemes were responsible for them winning their state championship, we heard from at least 50 others who credited intangibles – things like community support, senior leadership, team chemistry, work ethic, tradition, pride or overcoming hardship.

So while your choice of which offense and defense to utilize is obviously important, coaches we spoke to gave more credit to off-the-field factors than they did Xs and Os in their run to the state championship. That comes through loud and clear in the following profiles of five winning teams and quotes we’ve selected from other 2012 state champion coaches.

As you plan your 2013 season, these coaches suggest that the character of your team is just as important as your playbook. That’s their real secret to winning it all.

Montesano, Washington is classic small town America. Located halfway between the state capital of Olympia and the Pacific Ocean, the town of 3,900 exudes charm and tradition. As with many small towns, the residents take great pride in the local high school and its students’ achievements in the classroom and on the playing field.

So it was no surprise when the community celebrated Montesano High School’s 1A Washington State Championship last season – its first in 30 years and only the third in school history.

What was surprising for Head Coach Terry Jensen and the Bulldog team was that they were even in contention for the title, having been forced to endure numerous setbacks and overcome steep obstacles during their championship season.

“In the spring, our best lineman broke both wrists power-cleaning in the weight room and would not return until the fourth game,” said Jensen, who has won over 200 games in his 27-year head coaching career, including 11 at Montesano.  “A lineman who we projected to be a two-way starter elected to not turn out and two others were hurt and lost for the season. We had to convert three running backs to the offensive line – the three weighed 145, 171 and 180 pounds. All of them ended up starting every game.”

Montesano started the season 1-0 and then lost a non-league game to the team that beat them in the state semifinal the year before. They then lost their first league game, ending a 40-game league winning streak. “We were now 1-2 and in last place in league,” recalled Jensen. “At the end of the game, we knelt in the end zone and talked to the kids. Our defensive coordinator, Brian Hollatz, told the kids they had a choice. We were on a sinking ship, and they could either start bailing water or jump off the ship like rats. We met with the captains on Monday morning and we came up with the idea of getting buckets and putting a sign on them saying “We’re all in, where’s yours” – signifying that we chose to start bailing. The captains and some of the other players carried the buckets to class every day.”

The bucket brigade analogy was ironic considering what happened on Sunday night, September 16.  Montesano High’s football stadium bleachers, a historic 70-year old roofed structure made entirely of wood, burned to the ground in a fire local authorities called suspicious. “Almost all the players and coaches drove to the stadium and watched as it burned down,” according to Jensen. “There were so many memories made there and it was the favorite place on campus for so many people.”

As is often the case, the tragedy united the community. Support for rebuilding the stadium was immediate and strong. “When the stadium burned, the season was no longer just about the football team,” said Jensen. “It became a season of everyone pulling together - the student body, the administration and staff, and the community. Our players realized this was way bigger than just them and they knew they were playing for everyone who was touched by the fire. That is a big reason why we are state champions today. We rose from those ashes both figuratively and literally.”

The Bulldogs did not lose another game. They beat three undefeated teams in the playoffs to become state champions as well as academic state champions. They were honored by the state legislature for their accomplishments and for overcoming adversity.

It was a season Terry Jensen will never forget. “It’s hard to explain how everything bad that happened suddenly became a once in a lifetime opportunity - where the stars and the story aligned perfectly.”

“It Was Our Time”

Wayne Hutchinson,
Stamford High School (TX)

You won’t find many Texas towns smaller than Stamford. Located just about in the geographic center of the state, the town of 3,300 was named after the Connecticut city that was the hometown of H. McHarg, the president of the Texas Central Railroad. One of the more popular attractions in the town is the Cowboy Country Museum. Stamford High School, competing in the smallest classification in the state, has only 178 students.

When Wayne Hutchinson took over the football program in 2006, the school had lost 28 of their previous 30 games so he and his staff had to basically build the program from the ground up. The result: a 61-24 record in seven seasons, state runner-up in 2011 and Texas Class A, Division 1 State Champion last fall.

In 2011, Stamford lost their first two district games and was facing elimination from the playoffs with another loss. After that second loss, Hutchinson came across a source known as Woodcutter’s Wisdom. It simply states that life’s mishaps and frustrations are only a page out of a book and that judgment on life’s problems need to be reserved until the book is complete. “We told our players that they can write the final chapter about the season if they would step back, regroup, and play with conviction,” said Hutchinson. “We made a tremendous run but came up just short.”

Texas state championship games are played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, not exactly the type of venue the Stamford Bulldogs were used to. “This was an incredible experience for our players,” said Hutchinson. “We actually drove our team bus under the stadium on the way to the facilities. Our players were in awe when they walked into an immaculate locker room. We then walked on the field and saw probably the largest jumbotron in the world. Our kids fought hard, but we lost to Mason High School.”

For the 2012 season, Stamford had two mottos: “It’s Our Time” and “No Regrets.”  The team lost their second game of the year but completed the rest of their schedule without a blemish. During their run through the playoffs, the Bulldogs won five straight games and actually trailed in the championship game, 21-7 at halftime, before rallying for a 35-28 victory.

It was Stamford’s second straight trip to Cowboys Stadium. “For our send off, the highway was filled for two miles with families cheering,” said Hutchinson. “We had a police escort riding out of town. Having been to Arlington the year before, our kids weren’t in awe and it made all the difference. There were about 10,000 fans at the game. Once back in Stamford, we were part of a Christmas parade. Our team and members of the 1959 state champions – the last Stamford team to win a state title – were honored.”

What made the state championship even more special for Hutchinson was that his two sons and a nephew played on the team. His older son Hagen, the starting quarterback, played through injuries for most of the season. He suffered a torn labrum during the 2011 season and wasn’t 100% until well into last season.

“If there was a defining moment in our season last fall, it was the game against Cisco High School,” said Hutchinson. Hagen hurt his thumb near halftime and couldn’t grip the ball.

“We made the decision to go with our second string quarterback and Hagen just played defense in the second half. Our back-up quarterback led us to a 25-20 win and, more than anything else, it helped us mentally. We didn’t have to rely on Hagen at all costs.”

Stamford waited 53 years between state championships. Hutchinson and his staff want to make sure they don’t have to wait 53 more years for the next one.

Great Expectations

Tom Westerberg,
Allen High School (TX)

We’ve all seen it or read about it – the new $60 million stadium that opened last year at Allen High School outside of Dallas. It’s not the largest or even the most expensive high school football stadium ever built in Texas, but it’s close. By all accounts, it is the grandest facility in the state and possibly the nation. In an era of budget cutbacks effecting schools everywhere, the idea of spending so much on a football facility received national attention.

The biggest question facing the community in advance of the season was could the team’s performance live up to their impressive new home. The Allen Eagles had won the state championship in 2008, but they were facing one of their toughest schedules ever in the super-competitive North Texas area. “The 2012 season was going to be a huge challenge,” said Allen Head Coach Tom Westerberg. “We were opening the new stadium against the defending state champs, Southlake Carroll, who we had never beaten. Our schedule was demanding with teams in non-district games that were ranked very high in the state.”

All 18,000 seats plus an additional 4,000 standing room tickets for the opening game were sold in one day. Allen didn’t disappoint their fans as they handed Carroll a 24-0 defeat in the Eagle Stadium debut. The victory was a springboard that propelled the team all the way to their second Texas 5A Division 1 championship. “We beat Carroll to start the season and finished our non-district schedule 5-1 with a loss to Coppell in OT,” said Westerberg. “We made a quarterback change and went on and win our next 10 games to capture the state championship.”

When asked what the most important factor was in their championship season, Westerberg was quick to credit the team’s seniors. “The main reason we won was the leadership of the senior class,” he said. “Most had played together for a long time. In our QB change, the young man that had started the first five games moved back to receiver. The way he handled that move set our team up for the rest of the season. That’s an example of our senior leadership, doing what is best for the program.”

Instead of being intimidated by the new stadium, the Eagles relished the big game, big crowd atmosphere. “As far as playing in our new stadium, it was a blast,” according to Westerberg. If anything, playing regularly in front of crowds of 20,000 or more prepared the team for the pressure they would face on the big stage that is the Texas high school playoffs. “We played in front of 20,000 in round four, 30,000 in round five and 48,000 in the state championship,” said Westerberg. “Our kids were used to the big atmosphere.”

Tom Westerberg is grateful for the confidence that the Allen community placed in him and the Eagle program – enough to justify spending $60 million. “Building a championship program can be done in multiple ways,” he said. “We have great coaches, great community support and great support from our administration.”

But in the final analysis, this championship belongs to the students. “The most important ingredient is the students - from our players to our student trainers.”

TAR HEEL HEROES

Bobby Curlings, New Bern High School (NC)

New Bern, North Carolina, was founded in 1710 by a Swiss immigrant settlement and named after the capital of Switzerland. The second oldest city in the state, New Bern is also the birthplace of Pepsi Cola. Situated near the coast, it has been named one of the top ten boating towns in the United States by Boat magazine.

While New Bern takes their boating seriously, they also take their high school football seriously. This past season, the New Bern Bears won their second 4A state championship and completed an undefeated season, 15-0. According to Head Coach Bobby Curlings, the seniors at New Bern compiled a list of team goals that they hoped to achieve during the season. “Winning the state championship is always the ultimate goal that is set,” said Curlings. “Winning a state championship is the reward for hard work, dedication, discipline and teamwork.”

New Bern’s seniors had other goals. “The first was to compete to the best of our ability in every game,” said Curlings. “The second was to win our conference games and make the playoffs. Another critical goal was for each player to be the best teammate they could be. After all, football is the ultimate team sport.”

New Bern runs a multiple spread option offense which includes a combination of the triple option and, at times, the West Coast offense. While primarily a 4-3 team on defense, they have evolved into a 4-2-5 depending on the situation. The defining moment of the New Bern Bears season came in their second game. New Bern led Havelock 34-6 in the third quarter but Havelock staged a dramatic comeback, closing to 34-33 late in the game. “When they came back, our players didn’t panic and fought through adversity,” said Curlings. “The seniors took ownership and we won.”

Led by senior quarterback Josh Taylor, New Bern won four playoff games leading to the State Championship. A starter since the end of his freshman year, Taylor engineered the Bears to the title, a thrilling and dramatic 39-38 win over Porter Ridge. Down 21-14 at the end of the first quarter, New Bern tied the game at halftime. Porter Ridge then went ahead, 35-33, starting the fourth quarter. Porter Ridge then kicked a field goal to go up, 38-33 with just under six minutes to play. New Bern drove 80 yards and scored with 26 seconds left. The defense did the rest, stopping Porter Ridge as the gun sounded.

Taylor completed a season in which he threw 25 touchdown passes for 2,300 yards while rushing for 1,159 yards and 17 more scores. He holds career school records in touchdowns (130), wins (41), total yards (11,296), passing yards (7,987) and rushing yards (3,309). Taylor led New Bern to the 4-A Eastern Regional finals three years in a row. Winning a state championship was the culmination of his career.

“After the clock hit 0:00 and we had won, the smiles, hugs, prayers, tears, and other emotions that came from the coaches and players was priceless,” said Curlings. “On our last drive the team showed tremendous poise.”

New Bern averaged 43 points per game and gave up only 15 per game during the 2012 season. The defense also had 90 sacks and 21 interceptions. Curlings and New Bern also won a state championship in 2007 and he now has a 60-17-1 record in his seven years as head coach at the school. “2012 was a tremendous season for our players, coaches, parents and the entire school. We had some stressful situations, but it was all worth it.”

Coaches Coach

Jim O’Leary, St. John’s Prep (MA)

Jim O’Leary got into coaching almost by accident. As a freshman at the University of New Hampshire in 1971, he was injured early in the season but was asked to stay with the team and help coach defensive backs. He ended up coaching throughout his undergraduate years in a role that today would be called a graduate assistant.

O’Leary’s coaching career continued when, a few years after graduating from UNH, he joined the staff at St. John’s Prep outside of Boston under legendary high school coach Fred Glatz. St. John’s, founded in 1907, is one of the most prominent Catholic boys prep schools in Massachusetts, both academically and athletically. Glatz had built a perennial football powerhouse in his 17

seasons as head coach before retiring in 1983 and passing the reins to O’Leary.

The 2012 season, O’Leary’s 29th as head coach at St. John’s, was also one of his most memorable. Not only did he notch his 200th career victory, but he also led the Eagles to their third Massachusetts Division 1 championship during his tenure. “We had a great senior class and that made the milestones so much better because of them,” he said. Remarkably, at least 13 St. John’s seniors plan on continuing their playing careers at the collegiate level.

O’Leary is used to seeing his former players stay involved in football as players or coaches. Three current college head coaches – Brian Kelly of Notre Dame, Bill O’Brien of Penn State, and Sean McDonnell of New Hampshire – played under O’Leary at St. John’s. His quarterback in the late 1990’s was former Boston College and NFL player, Brian St. Pierre.

In 2011, St. John’s went 4-6 but lost five games by a touchdown or less. “After our last game, instead of being relieved that the season was over, our kids wanted to keep going,” said O’Leary. “No one wanted the season to end. They went right into the weight room the following Monday to start preparing for next season.”

The dedication and preparation paid off. Last fall, St. John’s finished 11-1, beating Brockton for the state title. O’Leary credits the players for the turnaround. “While we didn’t do a lot of things differently, senior leadership was prevalent. The players went to conditioning drills. camps, lifted weights and competed in 7-on-7 competitions. Everything they did was to get better.”

Going into each season, O’Leary has three goals. “We obviously want to play for the state title,” he said. “We want to win our league games, and win twice as many games as we lose. Our overall objective is to be consistently successful.” His coaching philosophy is also consistent from year to year. “The first day of practice, we work on special teams,” he said. “After that, we focus on playing great defense. Then, last, we run our offense. From day one, that’s what we’ll do because that’s how you win.” Last fall, St. John’s was the top-ranked defensive team in Massachusetts.

During the state semifinals, O’Leary won his 200th game as St. John’s beat Andover, 21-0. “That was important but what I really wanted was a 20lst win in the state championship,” he said. “We play probably the most competitive schedule of any school in New England. That experience helped us in the win over Brockton.”

Now, with his 201st win, O’Leary is St. John’s all-time wins leader and ranks among the winningest active coaches in Massachusetts. At the age of 61, he has achieved near-legendary status. But he is quick to give cre

dit elsewhere. “We have a great football tradition here at St. John’s Prep,” he said. “It’s the support of the administration, students, parents and most of all the players that leads to winning.”