Today's interviewee is Holy Innocents' head coach Todd Winter, whose team defeated Eagle's Landing Christian 42-41 in overtime on Friday. It was Holy Innocents' first victory against a top-five team. Winter was head coach at Pinecrest Academy before coming to Holy Innocents' in 2017 and won a region title there in 2015.
Todd Winter, Holy Innocents' head coach
1. What happened in the ELCA game that kept you in it? How did you pull it out? "First, we played through the peaks and valleys. When we were down 28-14 early in the third, we kept chopping wood. It was a pivotal point in the game. Second, we eliminated turnovers with excellent ball security. We were able to run the ball and keep the clock moving. Lastly, they have a high-powered offense, and we got two big fourth-down stops. When we went to overtime, we believed it would come down to a two-point conversion. We felt with such a short field for both teams, we might end up in a third overtime. In overtime, we applied enough pressure, and their [extra point] kick was pulled left."
2. What was the reaction of the players and coaches and fans when you won, and what does the win mean to your program? "It was true euphoria by everyone. It was crazy after the game with the student body storming the field. It was a moment that will never be forgotten. I have been told by many in our community it was the biggest win in school history."
3. What's different about this year's team? Where has the biggest improvement been since you took over the team in 2017? "Belief is the difference between '18 and '19. They believe they will win. In week two, we were tied with a very good Hebron team late in the game, and you just knew we were going to win. The biggest improvement is the culture of our program. It starts with Servant Leadership. As a staff, we are here to serve our players. Our players are here to play for each other - a true brotherhood. This is real in our program. They truly are brothers. The second biggest improvement is our level of strength. Our motto is and will always be Work Wins. Before we started at HIES, there were only six players in strength and conditioning class. Since last year, everyone is in class. We are bigger, faster and stronger."
4. You've built up two Class A private programs this decade. What insight do you have about what needs to happen to build a top-10 program in Class A? What is the most underrated or overlooked thing that will take a program to the next level? "Servant Leadership, strength-and-conditioning program, lower-level programs and quality staff is the philosophy I have used as a head coach in the largest classification to the smallest classification. In a single A school, your best athletes are multi-sport athletes. The most overlooked is strength-and-conditioning classes at the single-A level. In a single-A school, your best athletes are multi-sport athletes. They need to lift during the school day if they are going to stay safe and develop their skill sets for every sport."
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