MACON, Ga. — It's a new Stratford this season and a big reason for it is new head coach Paul Carroll.
Senior linebacker Brooks Garner said there's been a shift in the program.
"The overall vibe and intensity of everything is a lot higher and better," Garner said.
Carroll said they didn't hesitate to start making changes.
"Anytime you go somewhere new there are a lot of challenges," Carroll said. "The biggest thing is you better not just test the waters - you got to go ahead and jump in, and that's what we did, our coaching staff come in [and] we jumped in."
Once they jumped in, they knew exactly what to work on.
"It's the weight room ... and they just bought into getting stronger, bigger and faster and that's what you've got to do if you want to win football games," Carroll said.
Winning is exactly what the Eagles have been doing.
Going into Week 8, Stratford holds a 6-1 record for the first time since 2021. Garner said their record comes from an increase in the intensity.
"They're very, very intense but it's a good intense," he said. "You know they all want to win, they all care for us, they're willing to put in the work which makes us more willing to put in the work."
Not only is this staff willing to put in work for this program, they're willing to go the distance.
"A few of our coaches live almost like almost like an hour, hour and a half away and they're coming here everyday with the mindset to get us better and it's really working," said senior quarterback Connor Fitzpatrick.
Senior Tyler Burnett said this group has adapted well to the new changes. He thinks they've got what it takes to compete.
"I'm hoping to make it to the state championship and I believe we have the skill to and the coaching necessary and so that's really what my eyes are on now," Burnett said.
Before they get to the big stage though, the Eagles have get past the Vikings.
Last year, FPD outscored Stratford by 29 points, but Burnett feels more confident about the team heading into this year's matchup.
"I think it's a lot different from last year so I think they'll be surprised," he said.
Carroll said each game comes down to three things.
"We're going to play hard, going to play fast, we're going to play together and if we do those three things right there then we have a shot to win the ball game," Carroll said.
While Burnett likes where the program is now, he can also see it soaring to new heights.
"The young guys are very capable of what we are now so I think in years to come we'll only just be getting higher and higher," Burnett said.