Returning starter Gabriel Lopez, left, talks with new Spring Creek head football coach Ronnie Wise in practice Thursday. (Rudy Coggins|mountoilvetribune.com)
Spring Creek defensive coordinator Brandon Proctor, right, explains pass coverage to Kyler Norton during Thursday’s preseason football practice at “The Swamp.” (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s Tyler Magnus gets set to defend on an offensive play during Thursday’s practice. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek quarterback Darius Neal, right, hands off to Devon Coleman, during Thursday morning’s practice at ‘The Swamp.’ (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s Christian Lopez works past Devon Coleman to rush the quarterback during practice Thursday morning in ‘The Swamp.’ (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s Tyshown Robinson has Devon Coleman by the shirt tail after he broke loose into the secondary on a running play Thursday morning. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek quarterback Darius Neal, left, looks for an open receiver while Devon Coleman blocks William Zapata during their mid-morning practice Thursday. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s Elijah Sparrow squeezes the water bottle down to its last drop during practice Thursday morning.
Ronnie Wise, a New York native, is the fourth head coach in Spring Creek’s football program history. He spent the previous two seasons at Spring Creek Middle School. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
SEVEN SPRINGS — Commitment, dedication and hard work has always been present each August during preseason football practice at Spring Creek High School.
Are the times “a-changin” in “The Swamp?”New head coach Ronnie Wise thinks so.
The laid-back New Yorker, who hasn’t completely revealed his intense side, has that feeling after preparation during opening week of the 2023 campaign.
“I have been very pleased with the respect from not only our players and with the parents, but also with the administration,” Wise said. “I’m also pleased with the level of commitment that everyone is showing to rebuild and grow the program for the future. They have stepped up, are continuing every day to try and break the vicious reputation that has been passed down from year to year to them.
“The student-athletes are very committed and focused on our goals.”
Patience and extended teaching moments, particularly on the defensive side, have consumed each session. Players have been responsive and not hesitant to ask questions.
The coaches’ evaluations are particularly crucial. More than 30 athletes have suited up and competed for positions vacated by either graduation or offseason transfers.
The season opener is Aug. 18 at home against Lakewood.
“They are responding very well and have been doing everything possible to be better student-athletes than in previous years,” Wise said. “Some key guys have stepped up and decided that they want to take a leadership role in helping us achieve our goals.
“I’m very pleased with that.”
A “true” traditional 1A school, Spring Creek has spent the last seven campaigns in the 2A ranks.
The Gators’ first four years were in the physically-brutal and mentally-challenging East Central Conference that included perennial heavyweights Wallace-Rose Hill, James Kenan, Clinton, East Duplin and Midway.
In its final two seasons, SC coaches and administrators – with approval from the county – played an independent schedule. The move proved positive and rejuvenated some confidence that surfaced when the state’s new realignment occurred during the coronavirus era.
Wise and his staff begin year three in the Neuse Six Conference with outings against Eastern Wayne, Goldsboro, Beddingfield, North Johnston and Princeton.
“We are concentrating on fundamentals, discipline, speed and agility,” Wise said. “We are not focusing on any negativity that people have to say. We, as a program, understand that in sports you win and you lose, but it is our job as a program to focus on trying to be on the winning side of things.
“There are some very good teams that we will face this year and we have to make sure that we are prepared, focused and disciplined to achieve our goals.”
