A year ago, East Hamilton football players were tumbling tractor tires on the lawn of a neighborhood church.
It was the closest thing to a weight-training and conditioning facility that the first-year Hurricanes had.
Today they have a weightroom and they are no longer changing in classrooms. They are hopeful that they'll play their first home game without a bus ride after being forced to host four teams at Tyner and another at Finley Stadium.
"It's a big change for the guys, having their own weightroom and locker room," East Hamilton coach Ted Gatewood said. "I think it will make a big difference."
The Hurricanes secured just one win in their initial season of Gatewood's five-year progression plan, which includes playing that first game on their own field (vs. Signal Mountain on Aug. 27).
"Coming into the season you never know what's going to happen, but I didn't expect 1-9," two-way tackle Stephen Jetton said. "It was rough. My expectations were higher than that. No one likes to lose."
Jetton is one of 24 returning starters - this year includes the Hurricanes' first senior class - and the confidence level is up.
"When we came to camp last year, we were in classrooms and the hallways. You don't know how good it is until you don't have it," Jetton said. "Hopefully this year will be stepped up and a whole lot better. The confidence level is much better, which you can tell just by walking in the locker room."
The Hurricanes absorbed four shutouts in 2009 and reached double-digit scoring only twice - in a 38-18 win over Lancaster Christian and in a 50-14 loss to eventual 6-AA champion Red Bank. They allowed 397 points while scoring just 77 and half of those came in the lone victory.
"Coach says we should want to be givers rather than receivers," Jetton said. "We hope to do some dishing out rather than taking."
Jetton, somewhat undersized for a Class 4A tackle (5-11, 220), will be one of the keys if the Hurricanes are to discover more success.
"Stephen is one of those kids that are hard workers. He has done a good job of trying to show leadership, and he's a positive kid," Gatewood said. "There are some things he did with his effort, and he matured and got a lot better each week. He's a coachable kid and he understands what is expected. He loves the game. He loves to play. What he brings is a workmanlike attitude. He doesn't ask for breaks in practice. He just continues to work hard."
Proper attitude and technique can carry one far, Gatewood said in reference to Jetton, who is one of a dozen Hurricanes seniors.
"He was playing against bigger guys most of the year, but he's a hard-nosed fighter type of kid. He makes up for a lot with his technique and his attention to detail," Gatewood praised.
"It isn't the size that counts but the getting after people," said Jetton, who has interest in a journalism career. "Like Coach always says, it's technique and want-to."