Ask the Coach with Head Coach John Franco: Week 4

Every week of the football season, Eagle Eye writer and junior football player Matt Clifton will interview Coach Franco.

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Eagle Eye: What are your thoughts after achieving your first win back to Tyrone since 2011?

Coach Franco: “My first thoughts were it’s about time because I thought we played well enough to win the first two. We made one mistake in each game that cost us, and we should be 3-0 at this point. Obviously I was happy for [the win] but that’s just the first step. We have a long way to go, it’s a good step but nonetheless it was a first step only.”

I was most impressed with how resilient they are, the other team scores and they come right back out and take it to them.That’s the sign of a good team in the making.

— Head Coach John Franco

EE: What are some things you plan to work on and develop after the game with Bishop Carroll?

CF: “We definitely have to work on our open field tackling, that was not good against them. We also have to run to the ball better. It’s a philosophy of our program and yet we’re not doing it nearly as well as we need to. We need to tackle better and to tackle better we need to run to the ball. Offensively we’re still progressing.”

“Offensively I felt we improved last week. No one had scored on [Bishop Carroll] all year and I’m not even sure anyone had even crossed the 50 yard line on them. But there are definitely defensive areas we need to improve on there were so many tackles where we had them in our grasp and just let them slip away.  There’s just a lot of little things we need to keep doing and get better at.”

“This is a work in progress. I knew it was going to be when I came in. We’re going to get back to where we were. It’s going to take time and it’s going to take work, but that’s okay. I think Tyrone is a perfect place to do that.”

EE: What did you take away most from the BC game? 

CF: “I took away how resilient we are. We had so many opportunities to quit with what’s happened the past two weeks and how the momentum changes in the game kept happening and our kids kept coming back and they figure out ways to win games at the end. They finally figured out a way to win the game at the end. The first two games we were right there and we had not figured out a way to win, and we finally did that in the end [against Bishop Carroll]. I was most impressed with how resilient they are, the other team scores and they come right back out and take it to them. That’s the sign of a good team in the making.”

EE: What do you plan to really work on against PO?

CF: “We’ve got to get some depth. We have kids who are still banged up. We lost our starting tailback for the year, as you know. We’re really trying to work our running backs.  They have got to get into a good rotation so they can makeup for the loss of Tommy Hicks. Same with our defensive backs. We need a good rotation. We haven’t had Damon in there for two weeks or Tommy so our secondary is always on the field. We need to build depth in those two main areas. Our offensive line always needs work and help. That’s another area we keep looking for one more guy to put in.”

Pullquote Photo

This is a work in progress. I knew it was going to be when I came in. We’re going get back to where we were. It’s going to take time and it’s going take work, but that’s okay. I think Tyrone is a perfect place to do that.

— Head Coach John Franco

EE: Was there any standout moments in particular for you against BC?

CF: “The fact that we just let them back in the game, we intercepted the pass and gave them a safety. We kick off after a safety and they had the ball at midfield. We haven’t stopped them since the beginning of the first quarter but we come out and we shut them down. That was impressive. It was everybody and it wasn’t just one group involved. Everybody rose to the occasion and that really gave me hope that there’s a lot of good kids on this team. I think they’re ready to take the next step and make some things happen but that was the moment that I felt we really became a team.”

EE: What is your favorite pizza place in Tyrone?

CF: “Mac’s Market has best pizza around. There is no second best, Mac’s Market is number one.”