Troy football gets early start under new coach

Though school is only just recently out, the Troy High School football team is already hard at work, heading to camp and putting in time at practice to prepare for the upcoming season.

Head Coach Luke Haggerty, a 2014 Troy graduate, is excited about the buy-in he is seeing already from the upperclassmen and the rest of the team as he starts his first year coaching.

Haggerty said he played football for Troy all four years of high school, and is happy to be a continuing part of the program.

Over the weekend of June 9 and 10, the team was in Butte at Montana Tech for football camp.

“The guys played some really good football and acted as great representatives of Troy both on and off the field,” Haggerty said.

The team seems to have responded well to the opportunities to get out and practice in the summer, which haven’t always been there in the past, Haggerty said.

But enthusiasm is evident from the top down.

Haggerty had originally applied to be an assistant coach, but then the head coach position came open, and he put in his application in February, he said. Before he was even sure if he would get the job, Haggerty was already looking into the football camp in Butte and laying out plans.

“When I was in school, we never went to a football camp, and I love football camps,” he said.

He saw great response to the camp opportunity, Haggerty said.

“These guys have done it all. They’ve been showing the effort and the energy and just wanting to come do stuff,” he said.

With 10 to 11 players regularly making the optional summer practices and 21 at team meetings earlier in the year, Haggerty is even looking at the potential for a junior varsity team.

“That’s one of our big goals this year, is to get a JV team just for player development,” he said.

Senior Cy Winslow, who Haggerty said he expects to be a leader in the upcoming season, said he thinks the team is already coming along great.

“We didn’t do any of this for last year, so just to get this many guys out here in June feels great,” he said. “It really makes things look bright.”

Hunter Jordan will be a senior as well next year. Going on five years playing football, he said he is impressed with the teamwork and dedication he is already seeing.

“What I’m seeing so far is looking pretty good,” he said.

In setting an example for the younger players, Jordan said he want he and his fellow seniors to inspire them to win.

“I just want to make sure that they believe that we can win, no matter how the season goes,” he said.

Starting quarterback and senior Cody Osterberg said he sees an offense that is already strong, built around key players.

He also noted the camaraderie that is already growing between the players who have been coming to the summer practices.

Haggerty said he wants good things for his team.

“Especially just these seniors. There’s been a different coach every year for these seniors, and to just see them still come out and play with -- I mean, they’re out here having fun,” he said. “They’ve got such a good attitude, and these seniors really help drive the team for sure.”