By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
May 24, 2004
For the first time in 25 years, a new head coach roamed the football field of Southeast Lauderdale High School, guiding the Tigers through spring drills.
The Ty Trahan era at Southeast officially started with a week of training that allowed the coach, who replaced Dwane Taylor in March, to see his team live for the first time.
Trahan laid the foundation for things to come for Southeast during the quick practice sessions at the end of the school year.
The former all-Conference USA linebacker at the University of Southern Mississippi worked on cover-four and cover-two defensive schemes with the defense.
On the offensive side of the ball, Southeast will be working out of the I-formation, but Trahan said he will try to make the Tigers' attack as multiple as possible.
The new Southeast coach said the players picked up on his new formations and ideas for the team quicker than he thought they would on the field.
The basics may have been installed during the spring, but the Tigers will still have plenty of work when they return for practice on Aug. 2.
One of the main areas the team will be working on when the players return in the fall will be the passing game.
Southeast quarterback Drew Harper was hurt for spring drills, limiting what could be installed in the new passing attack. Sidney Coleman, a wide receiver and defensive back, bruised his MCL for the only other injury the Tigers sustained during the week of practice.
Southeast, which went 1-9 last season, instilled new plays and alignments during the spring, but Trahan said he knows the most important thing to help turn the program around will be the attitudes of the players.