The rebuild is well underway at St. Frances.
"We're off to a great start. It's exciting to be at St. Frances," said Henry Russell, St. Frances head football coach.
The Panthers, with the help of several key additions via transfer, are 5-1 and are ranked number five in the latest Maryland High School Football Media state poll. It's the highest ranking in the program's history.
"It's great for a lot of these kids. Most of them come from a place that maybe they had some tough years and not used to winning," Russell said.
"It's good. To start your own legacy as a senior, that's great," said Sam Thomas, Jr., St. Frances linebacker.
St. Frances is coming off a 14-0 win over Calvert Hall in the conference opener. This after going winless in conference last season.
"The locker room, we got that win, it was kind of like turned up. Me and the guys we're just happy. Without us and the work ethic, everybody going hard at practice and coming together, none of this is possible," Thomas said.
On Friday, the Panthers travel to Gilman for a game circled on the schedule for months. Almost all of the coaches on the St. Frances sideline coached at Gilman last year, leaving after longtime head coach Biff Poggi exited the program.
It's big for the coaches, and the lone Panthers player who wore a Gilman jersey last season.
"I've been looking forward to it a lot. I get to play my old friends. It means a lot to me and to them. It's a big deal," said Darrian Dalcourt, St. Frances right tackle.
"It's definitely been on our minds since probably February since we left Gilman. I was a graduate of there and spent probably most of my life at Gilman. So it's been different to be away. It'll be weird to be on the opposing sidelines. I'm not sure how I'll feel about it," Russell said.
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