Eagle Eye: What are your thoughts on last week’s game against Central?

Coach Wilson: “I thought, for the most part, we played really well. We battled for four quarters and we were only a few plays away from having a different outcome. For a team that was 3-7 and many said we shouldn’t have been in the playoffs; I’m sure no one was leaving their seats early in this game. That is a credit to the effort that our guys put forth during the practice week and game.”

EE: How do you think the team performed?

CW: “We played tough and played hard the entire game. There was nothing to be ashamed of with how they played. I thought every player gave everything that they had. It was the first game all season that I thought the crowd was behind us and you could see the players feeding off that. You could feel the excitement and energy that was running through the players.”

EE: What are your thoughts on this season?

CW: “Obviously not to the Tyrone standard. We struggled a lot and although we showed signs of what we were capable of doing throughout the season, we never put it together. It wasn’t until the last game and a half that our defense really started playing aggressive football. Our offense moved the ball decent later in the season, we just were not putting points on the scoreboard. We needed to execute better in the red zone. Although it took several weeks for us to put a complete game together, the players never gave up. We were down in games, we lost games, but week after week they stuck with it until the end.”

EE: What could have been improved during the season?

CW: “There are always things that can be improved throughout the season. I thought our line did an excellent job from the Bellwood game to where they progressed to against Central. They had a ton of improvement over the season against some very tough lines that outsized us. Our rhythm on offense never gelled and although we moved the ball, we didn’t put up the points that we needed. Our defense didn’t play with the aggression that we needed and we continued to give up big plays.”

“The team that I watched from the second half of the Chestnut Ridge game until the end of the Central game was the team that I believed that we could have had all season. Who knows where we may have been had we played like that at the beginning of the season and built off of it. It’s my job to better understand how to get that out of them earlier, to believe in themselves and play with that intensity for an entire season.”

EE: What are you going to do next season to make sure you win more games and it’s not a repeat of this season?

CW: “I’ll take the next two months once things slow down to evaluate the coaches, the players, and a season review. I don’t think there is a magic wand to wave to “make” sure we win more games but I think there are things we can do to put ourselves in a better position to win more games. My biggest goal right now is to make sure that I get players to buy into the off-season workouts and commitment. I think that was a struggle and my biggest headaches from this past season. Football isn’t won in the fall, it’s won from December to August. You can be great at anything but if you don’t continue to work to get better, you’ll get passed up. Especially for someone like us at Tyrone who have a target on our backs after so many years of winning.”

“Also, I really miss Al…. we could really use an equipment manager so that I can focus on coaching and leading the team like previous coaches were able to do for so many years.”

EE: Any final words to the seniors?

CW: “Thank you for the last three seasons. Most of [the seniors] are like a part of the family. We see each other year round 3 to 4 times a week – some days more than my own family. I wish them the best in their future whether it’s college, workforce, or military. In a season that may have been a disappointment, they never quit. They continued to battle each week until the end when no one supported them. Win or lose; what matters most is your family and those who support you. Winners never quit, quitters never win.”