'Hitman' training has strengthened Chattanooga Football Club's Jose Ferraz

Chattanooga Football Club's Jose Francisco Ferraz (9) celebrates scoring a goal against the Birmingham Hammers Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn. CFC won 5-0.
Chattanooga Football Club's Jose Francisco Ferraz (9) celebrates scoring a goal against the Birmingham Hammers Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn. CFC won 5-0.

Jose Ferraz's offseason workout program prepared him for the 2017 Chattanooga Football Club season.

He appears to be stronger on the ball, stronger to the ball and able to absorb punishment from opposing defenders and be more physical while attacking.

Some of that was just becoming a more important piece of the club and gaining more playing time, while some is because something seems to have clicked within the fifth-year CFC veteran.

Ferraz has three goals this season, ranking second behind Felipe Antonio's four and tied with Luke Winter. He hopes to add to that total, as does the club, which scored 10 goals in its last two matches and faces Memphis City FC tonight at 7:30 at Finley Stadium.

It's the last game of a homestand in which Chattanooga FC has gone 3-0-1 and moved into a tie for first place with New Orleans with a 5-0-4 division record.

Ferraz spent the time leading up to the season training at the Chattanooga YMCA with Roger "Hitman" Hilley, a local boxer who recently jumped into the professional realm and has a couple of victories under his belt. Ferraz said just taking up boxing was a career-changing event for him.

"The mentality I have now going into games is just different," he said. "Going into the ring is just one against one, man against man, but now I feel I've got 10 players behind me. I have so much support, so much confidence and I feel that nothing can stop me. Everything is coming together now; I just feel good now."

Ferraz admitted that while he feels good now, he wasn't always feeling good in the ring against Hilley, but he called it a "great experience."

"He got me, but he's been teaching me the mentality of boxing," Ferraz said. "You've got to be the better one that night; every time you get in the ring is a learning experience.

"You get out of there a better person, a better man."

His words could represent how the Chattanooga FC team feels as a whole. Struggling at one point to put together any offense, the club seems to have solved those problems with the recent onslaught of goals.

Memphis will provide stiffer competition than Birmingham or FC Carolina - the two worst defenses in terms of goals allowed in the Southeast Conference - but the CFC players feel confident in their ability to produce offense and victories.

"We've got a lot of confidence," Ferraz said. "We've got so many good players that come in, score goals and play well. We feel very good playing with each other, have good spirit, and that helps a lot when we step on the field."

A lot better than a few minutes in the ring with the man called "Hitman."

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.

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