1998

tinue a successful recruiting pro– gram, especially regarding the signing of in-district players.

He is also a highly, highly competitive person. I just hope I can take those attributes and use them myself with our play– ers," Underwood said. When Underwood completed his athletic career at DSU, he remained at the college as a graduate assistant coach and also completed his master's de– gree. Underwood later joined Coats when he took over the Hattiesburg High School foot– ball program where they worked together for six years. After that stint, Underwood went to Jones as defensive coor– dinator and Coats was named head coach at Pearl River. A year later the two coaches were reunited at PRC and remained so for three years until they came to East Central in the spring of 1995. In addition to the coaching experience Underwood has re– ceived as Coats' top assistant, he said he also learned a great deal about recruiting. Under– wood said he also hopes to con-

We must take care of the li tHe things first, then the big things will come. We plan to be a hard-nosed, physical team, a team that is really going to hit folks and nm to the ball oo de– fense, and block and execute m offense. We have to be a team that plays with great effort and enthusiasm. To be success– ful, in my opinion, we must be good oo defense, have a very good kicking game and offen– sively take care of the ba ll, and score enough points to win. If we all those things, we will be able to meet our goals," Un– derwood stated. The Warriors begin 1998 ac– tion oo Thursday, September 3, against Northwest Miss. Com– munity College.' Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. oo the Senatobia campus. East Central starts home action at 6:30 p.m. Thurs– day, September 10, with Ita– wamba Community College.