Although Parkers Chapel enters the 2019 season with a new coach, he is a familiar face to the team.
Elliot Jacobs, who is the school’s athletic director and was an assistant coach on Jacob Midyett’s staff, took over the reins of the program with Midyett’s departure after a two-year stretch at his alma mater.
“I’m very excited,” Jacobs said. “It’s been awhile since I’ve had a program to myself. I’ve taken some things I’ve learned along the way. Hopefully, the kids will learn from it, and we can show progress throughout the year.
“We talk about the team we are tomorrow better beat the team we are today.”
Jacobs said focusing on the details has been a key focal point.
“Number one, we don’t ever talk about wins,” Jacobs said. “What we talk about is changing the culture. We have seven core values, and we harp on them every day.
“That’s what we focus on. We tell the kids if you can handle that, winning takes care of itself. One of our core values is that even the smallest of details matters.
“It could be whatever, but doing the little things that we focus on, we tell the kids that if we can get you to that point, then the winning takes care of itself.
“Football games are won Monday through Thursday. By the time the game kicks off, the game has already been decided. That’s just a formality unless you’ve got two teams that prepare the same or didn’t prepare at all, but if one team prepares better than the other one, they’re winning.”
The Trojans have qualified for the playoffs for six straight years, but haven’t advanced beyond the first round since 2010.
But with six home games, including conference showdowns against Hampton, Bearden and Strong all at Victor Nipper Stadium, Jacobs is hoping the Trojans can not only make the playoffs, but host a postseason game for the first time in the program’s history.
“As far as our schedule goes, the teams we’ve got to beat in conference, we’ve got them at home,” Jacobs said. “Our goal is to win every home game. That sets us up for our season goal, which is to host a playoff game.”
However, fulfilling that goal won’t be easy.
“I think you can ask any coach in 2A that this right here is the toughest league at our level,” Jacobs said. “You’ve got Fordyce and Junction City and Bearden, Hampton and Strong adding athletes every time they step on the field. Our league is tough. Every week we play a league opponent, we’ve got to come ready and prepared going into that game.”
Parkers Chapel should be battle-tested for the 8-2A thanks to a non-conference schedule that features three home games, including their season opener against Glenbrook (La.).
The game is the first of four between Union County schools and Louisiana schools, and Jacobs said travel is a reason for seeing more of those matchups.
“Pretty much every program that I know of, we get our funds by gate and concession, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense for us to travel two hours to play and then have a team come two hours and play us that might not bring a lot of fans,” Jacobs said.
“Financially for us, it’s smarter that we play as many local schools as we can so we can pack the stands.”
The Trojans travel to Lafayette County for their first road game.
Last year, the Trojans knocked off the Cougars despite a quick turnaround from having to play Fouke in the Hooten’s Kickoff Classic thanks to quarterback Caleb Jacobs throwing four touchdown passes and rushing for another.
“It’s one of those teams that I hope we play year in and year out,” Jacobs said of the Cougars.
“For some reason, our kids get along. It’s always a tough game, good competition.”
Kyren Batey may have graduated, but Jacobs said the Trojans’ clash with Foreman in Week 2 will be a difficult one.
“Coach Midyett and coach (Mark) King scheduled that last year,” Jacobs said.
“They don’t have the Batey kid, but they’re still Foreman. They’ve still got athletes. They’ve got one of the best O-lines in 2A football. That’ll be a tough game for us.”
The Trojans will then hit the road to take on Mayflower.
“They were one of the teams we had to schedule last year just to make sure we had 10 games,” Jacobs said.
“It’s the same thing with Foreman. They graduated their best athletes, but they replaced them with some pretty darned good ones. That will be another tough non-conference for us.”
Parkers Chapel’s final non-conference game will also serve as their homecoming game when Pine Bluff Dollarway visits at the end of October.
“They’re going to have more athletes than us,” Jacobs said.
“We’ve got to be ready to play that game for homecoming.”
Fans wanting to see the Trojans play close to home will have several opportunities thanks to six home games.
“It’s not something we like to do,” Jacobs said.
“We like to keep it 5-5 since we’re on two-year cycles. That way every year we’ve got at least five home games, but it worked out where Glenbrook had to have an away game, so next year, we’re only going to have four home games.
“That’s the reason I like to stay 5-5. I’m excited and hoping we get a lot of people out and watch.
“They’ve got a lot of opportunities. Hopefully, we can show them some good football.”
If the Trojans are to reach their goals, Jacobs said the Trojans must take care of business at home.
“We feel that we have to win our home conference games,” Jacobs said. “That’s Hampton, Bearden and Strong. We feel that if we can win those home games, that puts us at least a three (seed).
“Last year, I think our three seed went on the road, so I’m hoping that will flip this year and our three seed gets to host.
“That’s our goal. Win our home games. If we do that, we feel that sets us up to meet our goals.”