News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
In his 11th season as Monterey’s head football coach, Scott Hughes said the program is about more than wins and losses on Friday nights, but building for the future.
After starting the season 2-0, the Wildcats have hit a rough patch and have lost three straight games. Hughes said that this season has presented their players with challenges that they will have to face head on.
“We talk about it all the time, adversity is always there no matter what you do,” Hughes said. “And football is in the same regard and some of those obstacles are bigger than others. And so it’s how do you handle it and how do you prepare for it?”
Hughes said this year his team has responded well to early adversity and three straight losses. With Monterey being a 7-12 grade school, Hughes said it’s a blessing watching kids come into his program as a 12-year-old kid and leave as young men.
“A lot of what we do is about relationships and trust,” Hughes said. “These guys aren’t just a statistic to us, they’re not just a win or a loss to us. It’s about being an ally for these young men and helping them grow as young men and be more successful in our society as husbands and fathers.”
With one of the most tight knit senior classes he’s ever had, Hughes said he is counting down the days, practices and games left. But, in Monterey graduating from the program does not mean leaving the program.
“On Friday nights it’s very common for us to have several alumni that played for us back,” Hughes said. “And being able to come over and have those conversations and those guys come up and hug you, that’s what it’s about. That’s what we’re trying to build with this class of seniors as well.”
