Interview with Marysville-Pilchuck High School football coach Brandon Carson + video clip
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | 2:48 pm
Slowly but surely, I'm making my way around to local football teams' practices. On Tuesday I visited Arlington and Marysville-Pilchuck, both members of the Class 4A Wesco North. Later this afternoon I will drive to Snohomish and check in with the Panthers, who also compete in the North Division.
Back to Marysville-Pilchuck: I spoke to fired-up Tomahawks coach Brandon Carson, who guided M-P to back-to-back league titles and consecutive playoff appearances the past two seasons. Here are excerpts from my conversation with Carson.
Brandon Carson, Marysville-Pilchuck High School football coach
Interview after practice on Aug. 24
*M-P's huge player turnout
“We're right around 97 kids (in grades 10-12). We've got pretty big numbers. We've seen more guys out this year than last year. Last year we were around 75.”
One of the biggest schools in the state, M-P has a massive student body to draw from but I'm sure the team's success the past couple years has also increased interest in the program.
*Impression of practices so far
“It's been going pretty good. We're getting a lot done. I like the intensity and the enthusiasm and the focus. Being the fourth year (with Carson as head coach of) the program, the guys kind of know what to expect so things go a lot better and we get more reps.”
The student-athletes who were freshmen when Carson became M-P's head coach are now seniors, so they are clearly on the same page with Carson and his assistants.
“We saw it in spring ball: ‘Hey, these guys know what to do. We don't have to water it down. They know what they're doing.' So that's kind of nice. We got a lot more done in the spring and got a lot done in the summer and when we come out here (the players are well-prepared).”
*Which players have stood out?
“(Lineman) Zach Schumann's been solid. He's worked real hard this summer. He's going to play some offensive and defensive tackle for us and he's been having a good camp.”
Schumann (6-foot-3, 270 pounds) is bigger and stronger than last year “and he's getting a lot more confident. He's a leader on the offensive line and he's one of our captains.”
Other seniors Carson spoke highly of: running back Kyle Miller, RB/DB Tyler Thompson and RB/OLB Myles Tarran.
*Areas that need improvement
“We have some running back positions to fill but we'll be OK. We've got to jell on the offensive line and we've got to be a little better defensively. When those things happen we should be OK. But we still have a LONG way to go.”
*Do things feel different or special this year, considering it's the final season before Marysville's new high school, Marysville Getchell, starts its sports programs and cuts into M-P's enrollment?
“It's hard to say. I really don't get that sense. The (players) that are here, they like being here. I guess that's a bridge we'll have to cross next year when we get there.”
*Former M-P assistant football coach David Baker died this summer
“It was a sad deal because he was going to go run the Getchell C-team program. He was really excited to take that step in his career,” Carson said of Baker, who was 46. Baker died July 7 after suffering a heart attack.
“He was having heart complications and I think he was going in for a bypass heart surgery and he just didn't pull through for some reason. It was a shocker to us.”
Baker coached with Carson since Carson became M-P's head coach before the 2007 season.
“For us coaches, it's like, ‘Wow. It's a guy we worked with all the time.' He's gone and that's tough to deal with.”
About 40 M-P players and several Tomahawks coaches attended Baker's funeral, Carson said. Baker coached M-P's sophomore team in 2007 and 2008 and coached junior varsity players last season.
*New artificial turf on M-P's home field at Quil Ceda Stadium
“We don't have to worry about those late October games, having standing water on the (old, messy natural grass) field. This will be nice. I wish they would have done it a couple years earlier, but I'll take it.”
M-P's home opener will be against Cascade on Sept. 17. The Tomahawks aren't practicing on the new turf yet because the track around the turf must be installed, but the field should be available by Sept. 10, Carson said.
“I'm happy. I think our kids are excited about it.”
*M-P's winning mentality
The players “know they've got to work hard to defend a league title because they've seen the guys do it before. There's playoff expectations around here — they expect to go to the playoffs. If we win a league championship (that's great) but the end goal is more playoffs than it is league title.”
Finally, here is a video clip I shot at the end of M-P's practice on Tuesday. It gives you an idea of the team's high turnout and the players' willingness to work hard, even at the end of a tiring practice on one of the warmest days of the summer.
Marysville-Pilchuck High School football team conditioning run
Back to Marysville-Pilchuck: I spoke to fired-up Tomahawks coach Brandon Carson, who guided M-P to back-to-back league titles and consecutive playoff appearances the past two seasons. Here are excerpts from my conversation with Carson.
Brandon Carson, Marysville-Pilchuck High School football coach
Interview after practice on Aug. 24
*M-P's huge player turnout
“We're right around 97 kids (in grades 10-12). We've got pretty big numbers. We've seen more guys out this year than last year. Last year we were around 75.”
One of the biggest schools in the state, M-P has a massive student body to draw from but I'm sure the team's success the past couple years has also increased interest in the program.
*Impression of practices so far
“It's been going pretty good. We're getting a lot done. I like the intensity and the enthusiasm and the focus. Being the fourth year (with Carson as head coach of) the program, the guys kind of know what to expect so things go a lot better and we get more reps.”
The student-athletes who were freshmen when Carson became M-P's head coach are now seniors, so they are clearly on the same page with Carson and his assistants.
“We saw it in spring ball: ‘Hey, these guys know what to do. We don't have to water it down. They know what they're doing.' So that's kind of nice. We got a lot more done in the spring and got a lot done in the summer and when we come out here (the players are well-prepared).”
*Which players have stood out?
“(Lineman) Zach Schumann's been solid. He's worked real hard this summer. He's going to play some offensive and defensive tackle for us and he's been having a good camp.”
Schumann (6-foot-3, 270 pounds) is bigger and stronger than last year “and he's getting a lot more confident. He's a leader on the offensive line and he's one of our captains.”
Other seniors Carson spoke highly of: running back Kyle Miller, RB/DB Tyler Thompson and RB/OLB Myles Tarran.
*Areas that need improvement
“We have some running back positions to fill but we'll be OK. We've got to jell on the offensive line and we've got to be a little better defensively. When those things happen we should be OK. But we still have a LONG way to go.”
*Do things feel different or special this year, considering it's the final season before Marysville's new high school, Marysville Getchell, starts its sports programs and cuts into M-P's enrollment?
“It's hard to say. I really don't get that sense. The (players) that are here, they like being here. I guess that's a bridge we'll have to cross next year when we get there.”
*Former M-P assistant football coach David Baker died this summer
“It was a sad deal because he was going to go run the Getchell C-team program. He was really excited to take that step in his career,” Carson said of Baker, who was 46. Baker died July 7 after suffering a heart attack.
“He was having heart complications and I think he was going in for a bypass heart surgery and he just didn't pull through for some reason. It was a shocker to us.”
Baker coached with Carson since Carson became M-P's head coach before the 2007 season.
“For us coaches, it's like, ‘Wow. It's a guy we worked with all the time.' He's gone and that's tough to deal with.”
About 40 M-P players and several Tomahawks coaches attended Baker's funeral, Carson said. Baker coached M-P's sophomore team in 2007 and 2008 and coached junior varsity players last season.
*New artificial turf on M-P's home field at Quil Ceda Stadium
“We don't have to worry about those late October games, having standing water on the (old, messy natural grass) field. This will be nice. I wish they would have done it a couple years earlier, but I'll take it.”
M-P's home opener will be against Cascade on Sept. 17. The Tomahawks aren't practicing on the new turf yet because the track around the turf must be installed, but the field should be available by Sept. 10, Carson said.
“I'm happy. I think our kids are excited about it.”
*M-P's winning mentality
The players “know they've got to work hard to defend a league title because they've seen the guys do it before. There's playoff expectations around here — they expect to go to the playoffs. If we win a league championship (that's great) but the end goal is more playoffs than it is league title.”
Finally, here is a video clip I shot at the end of M-P's practice on Tuesday. It gives you an idea of the team's high turnout and the players' willingness to work hard, even at the end of a tiring practice on one of the warmest days of the summer.
Marysville-Pilchuck High School football team conditioning run
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