PUMPED UP FOR 2000: TIGERS MAKE COMMITMENT TO WEIGHT ROOM

No pain. No gain.

Cape Central went through the pain last year as the Tigers struggled though a 1-9 season.

But sometimes it takes a little blood to bring out the beast.

Cape Central learned a lot about dedication and commitment last season and upon self inspection, many players realized that they were lacking in those departments.

But times have changed in Tiger territory.

They probably won't be a state contender and they might not dominate other teams this year, but know this: The Tigers won't lose games this year because they haven't worked hard enough.

The Tigers are coming off their best offseason in years. Of the 18 returning seniors (Cape Central lost just two offensive starters and one defensive starter from last year's team), 17 of them logged at least 30 hours in the weight room this past summer.

"This is the first year since I've been here that we've had everybody in the weight room like this," said senior defensive end/tight end Justin Welker, who has started every Cape Central football game since his sophomore year. "Even when my brother played here with Frank McGinty and all those guys, they didn't have this many people in the weight room."

"We have what we call the Dirty 30' club, said second-year head coach Lawrence Brookins. "Our challenge is for each player to put in at least 30 hours in our weight room. Those who complete that will win a hard-hat award at the end of the season. Last year we had four win hard hats. This year, we'll have between 25 and 30."

As a result, Cape Central is much bigger and more confident than it was a year ago. And the players get along better, too.

In 1999, the Tigers went through some early-season turmoil when a handful of talented players left the team.

But this year, at least before the season, it seems that the players are on the same page.

"Last year we didn't have everybody in the same boat," said Welker. "It seems that you always have some skirmishes in the first week of practices, but everybody's getting along great."

"There's a big difference," said fullback/linebacker O.J. Turner, a two-way returning starter. "This year we've had like the whole team in the weight room. Everyone is putting last year behind and we're ready to go."

"The camaraderie and the morale have been very good," said Brookins. "And it has manifested in a number of ways. We had 24 go to a camp at the University of Missouri and that was a good bonding experience. Each kid who went grew up some football-wise. They realized they weren't too far behind other groups. Our kids held their own real well.

"Then we had the weight room and we had a fund raiser and the kids got to know each other that way. They're all things we tried to use to create a sense of being a family, of being a team."