Coach, thanks for hanging out with us down there on the coast.

My first question for you.

Even when you win championships, you learn things from those seasons that you can bring forward with you.

What did you learn last season about yourself and about the program that you bring into 2023?

You know, I think last year the biggest thing that we had is as a team was just that 18 of the 24 seniors I had last year, only seven.

Seven of them were offensive or defensive starters.

And that meant there was a lot of guys who were role players, whether it's special teams or a backup.

And, you know, they took great pride in what they did.

And by the end of the year, because of injuries and different situations, they were actually the ones in the game to help us win a state championship.

So I guess it's not learning something new, but being reminded that, you know, especially in football, you have to have, you know, a depth, you have to have a lot of people who can play and really have those people bought in as well.

You're heading into your 13th season with the cadets, four state championships in your time there.

Back to back for eight titles.

And we all know championships are one in practice.

What are you doing now and how is practice going now that creates a championship team?

Yeah, definitely.

We tell the kids all the time it's what we do differently.

We feel like is is really from me and then how we practice all the way through December.

And we really working hard.

We had our spring ball this year and we pushed it as late as we can for two reasons.

One, to get all the kids out who play other sports, which we still strongly encourage and then also it's the beginning of football, like football has begun.

We're just going to have some breaks in between and then we do a lot with them in the summer.

Of course, it's it's not mandatory, but they know, you know, they need to be there at least 75% of the time.

And, you know, both with weights, with conditioning and with football throughout the summer.

And and we right now we're in the process of of doing our match week.

And so we back off on them a little bit with the football stuff this week and really put a lot of emphasis in their maxs and you know what they're doing both in the weight room and then, you know, with vertical jumps and broad jumps and those sort of things and they enjoy that.

So kids work really hard as a group to, to make, to get better physically.

Region three Kuwait is one where you really make sure that you're keeping track of your mileage $0.53 a mile because you're going everywhere from Waynesboro to Jessup and you're like right there in the middle of it.

But that also means because of the region being what it is, you've got to come up with a half a schedule.

And I know that we talked about it in the past, how difficult it is sometimes for you to get non region games because of what you've established there at Benedictine.

When you look at your schedule this year, what do you see?

Yeah, it's it's another tough, tough schedule.

I wanted to I really wanted to get up and play somebody in the Northeast.

My administration reminded me that when I started that, you know, think of playing, you know, all over the country that I was only going to travel every other year.

So, you know, I wasn't able to do that.

I was trying to get, you know, some really tough teams up.

You know, it would be a multi-day trip.

But we are playing Julius Chambers out of Charlotte, North Carolina, who's a very good football team and has had a lot of success, a lot of athletes.

We start the season, of course, with Jenkins.

We have where county who is unbelievable.

Obviously, Coach Strickland does a great job with them and we'll probably keep playing them every year.

And so just a really tough non region schedule and that's the way I like it.

You know I want us to be pushed.

I want us to, you know, play the best we can be.

And if somebody whips us, I promise we'll get better from it.

The talent on your team is endless.

So for time's sake, tell me some of the top players with the best offers on your team and then somebody that deserves an offer.

I love kind of zeroing in on recruiting during the off season is a hot topic.

Yeah, obviously lukewarm and hot.

You know, I feel like the top quarterback in the country.

Certainly he's listed as one of them.

I think number three, he can go.

He's really good.

It probably hurts him a little bit.

You only had one year last year because, you know, he's playing behind holding going before him.

But Luke is a dude.

Luke is the type of kid if if I'm ever in a fight and I have to really just go in an alley and fight somebody, I'm taking Luke to go that I'm telling you, he is a tough kid.

He is something else with an incredible football talent.

And he's, of course, going to Florida State and he's in the process of recruiting everybody to go with him.

So we're excited about it.

Yeah, and he should do that, says the Florida State alum on this show.

Yep.

John's happy about that one.

I bet it Luke is doing a I heard him.

He he was on the phone with somebody today, another player somewhere in the country trying to trying to get him to come, though.

So it's it's a lot of fun watching him Jacoby Ward who who's a rising junior that's protecting him picked up recently in Alabama and over LSU all four and just an incredible you know six four £330 offensive lineman that you know is getting big time offers.

And Bryce Baker is a senior.

He's got, you know, offers from Georgia southern and outstate and those type places.

And the one you say somebody who needs an offer Herbert Scroggins the third and he goes by third okay doesn't sound like a football players name does not.

He is a do you know I mean, he is a outside linebacker.

Looks like it.

But we took him to seven on seven with us and I'm not quite sure why because, you know, that's not his thing necessarily.

But he went with us and they were picking on him because the seven on seven shirts don't fit him like he is.

And I said, I won't listen.

Third, listen, if I look like you, I wouldn't wear a shirt anywhere.

I simply walk around without a shirt on.

Everywhere I went, the coach's shirts.

We all have tattoos of big football on our chest because we wouldn't be wearing shirts, you know, because that dude has he has muscles I didn't even know existed.

So a great looking player and he's going to everybody will know about him after this year, I can assure you.

No doubt about it.

We're going to find out more about third as we go.

My last question from my my last question before Hannah gives you the bonus question.

When it comes to community, we all know how important it is when it comes to extracurricular activities.

And what it means is a part of the fabric of the school.

When I mention the Benedictine community and what it means to football and to extracurriculars, what comes to mind?

Yeah, the Brotherhood.

And it is a preach brotherhood.

The moment these kids get on campus, that's what they're taught, like, Hey, these are your brothers, and you may fight and be upset at each other, but we are a brotherhood and that doesn't end when you graduate and that you can tell that the alumni from, you know, 99 year old men that will be rolled into the stadium, too.

You know, the business owners in the area that give to the school that show up in the parking lot just come in and have a blast.

There's that brotherhood that they just love to continue to support each other.

And like John said, last question, bonus question.

Do you have a funny coaching moment, funny coaching, memory, game day tradition or game day superstition that you would like to share?

Yeah, well, first of all, I'm not superstitious either.

I believe you make your own luck, but I have a lot of those and I had to come up with one.

And this one.

This was from back when I first started coaching and younger days.

And of course I played at Georgia Southern and we all know about Kurt Russell and the head box and stuff while I was trying to do that and you know, years ago and went and before the halftime and I was going to fire this team, we were playing local rival and was going to fire this team up.

This kid comes running out, he's in full helmet.

And I had Buddy and I guess I wasn't it split my scalp to the point where so so literally the trainer comes over.

She's sitting there holding it.

Meanwhile, all the officials are like, What's going on?

My chain threw it and out there.

So I have to go running into to the office where the chain crew is and says, Hey guys, where are you at?

I walk in, there's my half of my face is filled with blood and they like, What in the heck happened to you?

I said, It doesn't matter.

Get out.

Every chain group.

The trainer, literally for the third quarter had to hold a towel on my head to keep, you know, so I could continue coach.

And finally get some of that glue on there.

And I think it did more to freak everybody out than it did to fire anybody up except for my wife and two daughters.

Yes.

They were oh, fired up at me for doing that.

And then the funny part of that, then immediately after the game, I have to go right across the street over to Memorial Hospital to get staples.

Do you know when they staple your skin?

It is literally the same staple gun that they used like you would use at your house.

Not aware.

Oh, did not know.

I wasn't aware of that until end either.

And it's the exact same one like too.

So like seven staples put my scalp after that.

So that ended my shirt.

Russell headbutting days and we found other ways to get them excited.

Seven staples and you coach the entire game.

Wow that's that's leading.

That's one of the best stories that we've had.

That's that.

Oh, man.

Wow.

But now.

But now I'm stuck with the staple gun.

Yeah.

I did not know that.

I was not aware.

Oh, well, Coach, literally.

Yeah, go ahead.

No, no, you go.

I literally asked him.

I said I didn't see it at first and it sent I said, that sounds like a regular staple gun.

And then the doctor just reached around and showed me and it's literally what you would use at your house to like staple your screen porch to get out, you know, not happening while painful.

Well, Danny, thanks for hanging out with us and doing things like this, especially virtually and all this kind of stuff.

Thanks for telling the great stories and thanks for hanging out with us.

Appreciate you having me, guys.

I'll catch up soon.

All right.