South Pontotoc High School Cougars

PONTOTOC, Miss. (WCBI) — Youth and inexperience characterize a squad that’s still trying to grow up at South Pontotoc. Michael Bradley wouldn’t have it any other way.

The experienced head coach is in his second season with the Cougars and already he has high praise for his team going into the new season.

“I like the fact that we have a really good work ethic,” coach Bradley said. “Our guys have bought in to what we’re trying to accomplish here. We’re a young team but we have a lot of really good, coach-able young men. I’m excited about being able to spend time with them and get better.”

If there’s anyone who knows how to turn around a high school football program, it’s Bradley.

Beginning his tenure with a 2-9 record last season wasn’t the way coach Bradley wanted to start his time at South Pontotoc. He hopes his team will use last year as motivation to start fast and maintain momentum from the early season, even though the team will be young.

“I think last year going 2-9 we hit the bottom,” junior Nick Montgomery said. “We’re rebuilding but I think it will be a lot better this year. We’ve set goals and we know how hard we have to work to achieve them.”

“We were young last year,” Bradley said. “But we have to do the things we did right last year better and we have to correct the mistakes we made and get bigger, faster, stronger and older.”

Bradley has changed the perception at South Pontotoc in just one season. The Cougars have historically struggled on the football field and even though a 2-9 record may suggest that was the case last year, don’t be so sure.

The Cougars aren’t playing the results as much as how much they want to improve as a team for the future. They plan on using the scoreboard as motivation, not as a measuring stick in 2015.

“We don’t want to look at the opponent on the schedule but look at ourselves and make sure we’re doing everything we can to be the best team possible,” Bradley said. “We’re excited about this season and every day we have to come out and get better from the day before.”

“Since coach Bradley got here it’s helped this program a lot,” senior Hunter Jolly said. “He has laid the foundation and we have a positive attitude going into the season. We’re working as an actual team together.”

With the infusion of youth and experience at the top, South Pontotoc hopes this is just the beginning towards bigger and better things for the future in football.