Indians complete first spring under new coach

Andy Morphew, The Duncan Banner, Okla.
·3 min read

May 25—When a new coach comes into a program, they want to put a stamp on the tone of their first practices. That's exactly what Gary Robinson will do for the Comanche Indians football team.

Robinson, hired earlier this spring, spent the majority of last week and the first of this week conducting five practices during the first part of his tenure at Comanche High School.

The Indians, coming off a 3-7 season, are one of several teams that had spring practices. The team has been named the DSPAC Team of the Week after conducting their first set of workouts under Robinson.

Robinson was at Grandfield High School in Oklahoma this past season and comes directly from Texas, where he was coach at Joshua and Krum High School for more than a decade.

During the first set of practices, the Indians didn't take long to see the style of football that Robinson wants to play. He believes this team caught on in convincing fashion.

"We wanted to get to work as soon as possible. One of our goals was for the kids to kind of learn how I run practice and the organization of practice and the sense of urgency that it takes," Robinson said. "I wanted to teach them that sense of urgency and what to expect when August rolls around."

Robinson said they also installed some plays which he will call in August during the regular season. He believes these kids are ready to work.

"They are very coachable kids and you know, after the second day, we were already running a lot of plays that I will run on Friday nights during the season," Robinson said. "We are going to be young with a couple of seniors for next year. I think we are going to make a good run in a couple of years. Overall, the boys are about as coachable kids that I have ever been around. It didn't take long for them to pick up on my philosophy and how we do things."

The final practice for the spring happened on May 23 and Robinson said after talking with the team, they want to become a playoff consistent team in the future.

"That is the goal that we're kind of putting into their head and they are responding really well," Robinson said. "I think that is something that the boys and Comanche wants — they want to be in the playoffs and they want to do it consistently."

This summer, they will go into the Summer Pride weight and conditioning program. Robinson hopes for a big amount of participation in the program and hopes he instills his philosophy of the weight room winning football games.

"I'm a big weight room guy. I'm a firm believer that you win football games between the months of December and August, not even during football season," Robinson said. "I'm hoping that we have a huge turnout everyday. Obviously kids go on vacation and kids go to camp and stuff during the summer, but I have told them if you are in Comanche Public School district or you are home, do not lay your head on that pillow, you get up and get to practice and in the weight room so you can get better."

The next set of plans for the Indians will take them to several 7-on-7 football tournaments. The first one take place on June 16 when they travel to Plainview High School to get their football skills a little more refined.