Countdown to Kickoff (Edition 28): Ironton sets its sights on the state championship

IRONTON, Ohio (WCHS) — "There's one goal in mind and that's to win a state championship and obviously when you don't reach that, you come back hungry and ready to go the next year." Trevon Pendleton, head coach of the Ironton Fighting Tigers, said.

Ironton is coming off an 11-2 season and are two years removed from a state runner-up run.

"They show up and work. There's kind of no days off here and our kid’s kind of attack, and it's an attack mentality all the time," the head coach said of his team.

"We're athletic, and we're going to play very fast, and just try and tire people out." Brayden Schreck said.

“I remember talking to a lot of the players like immediately after the game last season and it was just one for the next season right then and there is this already looking forward to the next season,” Bowen Gossett said. "Right after we're in the weight room immediately after. It's just, it's like it's kind of the culture around here too.”

16 seniors return and there's a lot of guys coming back with valuable game experience.

"I think, started about 12 guys on both sides of the ball last year at some point or another,” the head coach said. “Obviously, not full-time starters but we got about 12 guys on both sides of the ball that at least started a game last year and this time of the year, early in the year, that experience pays dividends."

Going into the new season, each player understands his role in making this team successful.

"Some guys just lead by example some guys are very vocal and then there's guys that fall in between but there's a great mixture of them and the best best thing is you know you have a great team when people are willing to follow,” Pendleton said.

“You know nine times out of ten a team will have a good leader but they might not have good followers and you know we got some guys on this team that are kind of accepting of their role when they're following them leaders and they're doing all the little things that are necessary day in and day out," he added.

Depth will also be a strength for the Fighting Tigers

"Having that many guys that have played football games for us it allows us to be you know two and three deep at every position and allows us to stay fresh and in return to that you know we can really attack and attack on at every phase of the game," he continued.

Ironton is a team full of talent. Shaun Terry is committed to Missouri and he's not the only division one prospect, but despite all the individual talent, the team comes first.

“I feel like we're ready and we're hungrier than ever,” Gossett said. “I feel like we're a hard-hitting team and we're going to really take it to them.”

"The biggest thing we use around here is all in and that means all the time and all in means you know I'm all in for the guy next to me,” Pendleton added. “I'm all in for the program and lastly I'm all in for myself so our kids buy into that they understand what that means and you know it means a lot to them to play in that with that that kind of mentality."

It isn’t just the coach, the team said that they play for each other as well.

"Just watch practice, and everybody's just all in and locked in all practice," Schreck said.

"Here on the field, none of that matters,” Gossett said. “It's just your brothers, you're working out with each other. You're together almost basically all year. It's really a brotherhood. Winning for each other, playing for each other."

"We always talk about pride comes before the fall and you know you don't ever get too high don't ever get too low but you can't have them prideful moments where you let pride get in the way of something that we're trying to accomplish,” Pendleton said.