F.A.M.I.L.Y.

“Forget About Me; I Love You,” Good Hope football coach Alan Scott voices his team’s theme for the upcoming season.

Perhaps they’ve also forgotten the struggles of the past two years and are loving the opportunity that lies ahead.

The Raiders are coming off a winless 2016, and a 3-17 record over two years isn’t exactly how Scott wanted to start his tenure with his alma mater. But optimism is high that this is the season — with the experience and leadership in place — that things start to turn for the better.

“The guys that have been with us the last two years, it’s been a tough road,” Scott said. “We haven’t had a lot of success. But the leadership, the strength, all those attributes, we’ve seen definite improvement.”

Good Hope has more than 50 players out for the 2017 campaign, which Scott said is good.

“We’re very pleased with the turnout and the quality of the kids we have out this year,” he said.

And, again, it’s about F.A.M.I.L.Y.

“We’re trying to send a message the team is the most important thing,” Scott said. “When we watch all these guys who play on Sundays and Saturdays, a lot of the emphasis is, ‘Look at me.’ That kind of trickles down, and understandably so. But we would like for our guys to have the mentality of, ‘I gotta do my job, and my buddy knows he can count on me and I can count on him.’ They’re grabbing a hold of that.”

Good Hope will be gunning for its first-ever appearance in the state playoffs as a Class 4A program. To do so, it will have to negotiate a tough slate in Region 6 that features powers like defending region champ Haleyville along with Fayette County, Cordova, Hamilton, Winfield and Dora.

“There’s no drop-off,” Scott said of the region. “They’re well-coached, they’ve got talent and they’ve got tradition. So if you don’t come to play on Friday nights, it’s going to be tough. It’s arguably the toughest region in the state.”

The Raiders will also play Cullman County foes Vinemont, Cold Springs, West Point and Hanceville.

Opponents this season will see a little bit of a different look from the Red and White on offense. New offensive coordinator Mitch Witcher will likely mix things up a bit more than when Scott was calling plays a year ago.

“Mitch will probably have a little more variety than I did as an offensive coordinator,” said Scott, who’s shifting his focus to the defensive side of the ball. “We saw that in the spring game when we went to Addison this year. Maybe our second play from scrimmage was a pass for a 60-, 70-yard touchdown. Like any good offensive coordinator, he wants to mix the run and pass, but you still have to establish the run, though.”

The Raiders offense will base out of the Wing-T.

“That’s where I feel the most comfortable and I feel that our kids have the best chance of winning,” Scott said. “Now, within that system you can be as varied as you’d like to be based on what your weapons are.”

And there are most definitely weapons.

It starts with new signal caller Bailey Quick, a junior transfer from Cullman. Preston Bagwell and Matt Hancock split time at quarterback last year, but with Quick coming in, Scott can take advantage of their skills elsewhere.

“Bailey has come in and jelled with our guys very well,” Scott said. “I think he makes good decisions, and he’s got a leadership quality about him you have to have to be a quarterback.”

Hancock, Matt Schwaiger and Matthew Dixon — all juniors — are projected to have the lionshare of the carries out of the backfield

Bagwell, also a junior, will be the main threat on the edge at wide receiver, and junior Isaiah Green will fill out the tight end position.

Scott said the offensive line is “getting solidified.” Junior Peyton Hill and senior Tucker Putman were named starting tackles, while juniors Jackson Hancock and Dawson Speegle will fill out the guard positions. Sophomore Trevor Pace will be center, and junior Justin Rasco should be in the rotation as well.

For the most part, Scott said, the Raiders will be able to have a fresh group on defense without having too many players going on both sides of the ball.

Freshman Colton Bagwell and junior Ethan Rasco are being counted on at the defensive end positions, while sophomore Hudson Leverett will anchor the defensive front at nose guard. It is likely there will be a rotation from the offensive line starters to the other defensive line spot.

Juniors Dylan McDonald, Riley Kilpatrick and Levi McCall will be counted on at the linebacker positions, and a spot on the defense Scott is particularly excited about is his secondary. Will Dickerson, Mason Moniz and Kyle Carlton — all seniors —will look to keep a lid on opposing teams’ passing games.

“In today’s offenses, as much as you see through the air, you better be ready in the secondary,” Scott said. “We have some depth and experience there.”

Depth is the key.

“We’re trying our best to go one way,” Scott said. “Really, we have only two positions that we have to work in other players, but anything can change. This is the best depth I’ve had since I’ve been a head coach.”

With the experience and talent returning for 2017, expectations are high for Good Hope. Scott also is hoping to change opponents’ attitude toward the Raiders.

“What I feel like as a coach is you need to win the games you’re supposed to win,” Scott said. “What that means for me is if I line up across from a team I feel like, athletically, we’re fairly equal, I feel like we need to win that ballgame. Over the last couple of years, we haven’t done that. And that falls back on the head coach — to win the games you’re supposed to win.

“My goal for our region is I’d like to be able to compete, get the game in the second half and specifically the fourth quarter and win one, maybe two, we’re not supposed to win.

“We’re wanting to establish this year and in the future moving forward that we’ll be one those teams that can compete at the 4A level. Good Hope hasn’t made the playoffs as a 4A team. We’re trying to aim for that.

“We want to do it the right way and want to play with a bunch of guts and heart.”