Columbus High School football coach Randal Montgomery has that pep in his step again.
After three successful seasons at Hazlehurst High School, Montgomery over the Falcons’ program prior to the start of spring practice a year ago.
Montgomery’s second spring wrapped up Saturday with a loss to Oxford in the Delta State University jamboree. Enough was seen in the spring though to lead to massive amounts of optimism for Montgomery’s second regular season in the fall.
“We feel so much better getting ready for the second season,” Montgomery said. “There is no doubt the program is headed in the right direction. We finished last season playing well and that carried over to every aspect of the off-season program. Summer conditioning is next and we are really excited about the season ahead.”
Montgomery knew his first two tasks when he took over the job – lift the morale and build the numbers in the program. Columbus finished 4-7 in 2013 and repeated that record a year ago. However, the groundwork was laid.
“On the final bus trip last season, we carried 55 players,” Montgomery said. “For almost all of the practices in the spring, we had 85 kids out. Our freshman class (sophomores this fall) has 45 players in it. That is an outstanding number. That shows you that we are building from the ground up.
“We have to grow that class and then grow the classes behind it.”
Montgomery said he and his coaches combed the school for talented athletes who could be talked into becoming part of a winner. In the spring, 20 players came out who were already in the school but not part of the football program.
“Class 6A provides a lot of opportunities and it is all about building depth,” Montgomery said. “There is a lot of excitement around the program. I think the students realize what we are doing and how we are going about doing. Players help spread the word and encourage their buddies to come out.”
A year ago, Montgomery guided the Falcons through spring practice.
However, his full staff was not assembled and on board in Lowndes County until June 1. During the course of the summer, the coaches had to learn one another as well as their new players. Players had to learn a new system and had to start building that bond with coaches.
Columbus struggled out the gate with disappointing performances in losses to Noxubee County, New Hope and West Point. Eventually, things kicked in. Columbus won three of seven games played against Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 2 play. The signature win was a home victory over Madison Central.
Playoff hopes remained alive until the final days of the regular season.
“The biggest thing is our entire coaching staff has been working with the kids since June 1,” Montgomery said. “When you increase the numbers in your program, you are increasing the instruction. Our coaches got to be hands-on with last summer’s conditioning. They were hands-on during spring practice.
“We are pretty much at one year with a full staff on board working with these kids in particular. That is when a program can take off. Everybody now knows the expectations at each point during the year. You have to work at this 12 months out of the year to be successful on Friday nights.”
Montgomery rode his first team hard. He was not expecting that team to turn into a state title contender. He was expecting that team to establish the trend of working hard and playing hard. As players knew what was expected of them, the buy-in was rather stunning.
The Falcons played much better on a weekly basis. The team played like a Class 6A contender towards the end of the year. They also did that with an abundance of young players playing the lead roles.
“We built a really nice foundation,” Montgomery said. “What we established last season was a work ethic and a mind-set. You have to be mentally ready to play on Friday nights. For the most part, we really came in locked in ready to compete and ready to play hard. There may have been a game or two where the other team had a higher talent level but we still competed and played hard.”
The spring was spent building on that work ethic. It was also spent shifting from a 4-2-5 defense to a 3-4. Montgomery said the team played well in its loss to Oxford. Judging the new scheme, Montgomery said the run defense was surprisingly good while the pass defense needs a little work.
“Overall, it was the best I have ever felt after a loss,” Montgomery said. “We have some play-makers.”
The Falcons now feel like they can become a team with the higher talent level on a lot of Friday nights.
Montgomery agreed that his team has several Division I prospects this season. The coaches and players now have a comfort level with one another and they know what they are working towards.
With better than half the roster being sophomores this season, there will still be growing pains. However, the future is bright. One can tell, Montgomery is committed to the long haul and the program is being built from the ground up.
Still, the season ahead will present some challenges. After two seasons in the weaker Region 2 of Class 6A, Columbus is now back in the heavyweight division of Region 1. That means the games that matter this year include Southaven, Horn Lake, Tupelo, South Panola, Olive Branch, Hernando and DeSoto Central.
The challenges will be huge. However, if we learned anything last season, the Falcons will come out well-prepared before the game and will be well-coached during the game. They will also compete hard and play with a competitive spirit for one another. The all-in mentality is important in football and the Falcons were good at that a year ago.
Columbus is tentatively set to open the season Aug. 15 against Louisville in the Davis Wade Stadium Jamboree.
The season opener is Aug. 21 at home against Kemper County.
Montgomery finally has a comfort level at his new job. Hopefully, the Falcons will play with one as well.
Scott Walters is a sports reporter for the Commercial Dispatch. He may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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