After the Goshen Eagles earn their seventh straight berth in the state playoffs last fall, head coach Bart Snyder started looking ahead.

“We sat down at the end of the year and tried to figure out what it was we needed to work on,” Snyder said.

Now, as the Eagles take the field during their spring practice season, coaches are focused on solidifying fundaments.

“We had four practices this week,” Snyder said. “The guys are working hard and we have had good numbers come out. We preach fundamentals.”

The Eagles finished the regular season 4-7 and lost to Washington County in the first round of the playoffs. They struggled offensively and were outscored by the opposition 309-233. In the first six games, the Eagles scored only 58 points and were shut out three times

Like many teams, injuries played a factor. But the Eagles were able to move players around to compensate, thanks to the experience the depth developed during spring practice.

“That is very important to have that,” Snyder said. “It gives them a heads up of what could happen in the fall.”

Once school breaks for the summer, the work doesn’t stop for the Eagles. Snyder will continue to harp the importance of hard work as the summer months transition into the spring.

“Hard work, hard work and hard work,” Snyder said. “We instill that. It’s regular off season hard work that everyone does.”

During the spring drills and summer months, the Eagles will have the opportunity to get in the weight room to continue to work and build up their strength.

“We try to build a team unity for everybody,” Snyder said. “We want each program to be successful. Every male athlete that we can get is in the weight room right now and then we well get the females in at another time. It is extremely important to be able to do that.”

On May 19 Pike County and Goshen will play Brantley and Luverne in a jamboree designed to give the players an opportunity to put a cap on the spring and have some fun before the summer.

“It will be good because it will be a challenge between the Pike County schools and the Crenshaw County schools,” Snyder said. “It will be a fun time to get there and wear purple colors and play them.”