Carl Albert Replacing Coach As Well As Graduated Players

Entering a new season in defense of a state championship is a familiar position for the Carl Albert Titans football team but entering the season without legendary head coach Gary Rose is quite another.

Winning 10 state titles over 22 years, Rose stepped away after winning his final title last season. Taking over for Rose is former defensive coordinator Mike Corley who's been with the team for 14 years.

"It's a different chair," Corley said. "Everybody knows that. The administrative part of things is different and it's taken time to adjust to that. You just jump in there and put your head down and work through it."

Corley and the Titans is set up nicely with a couple of foundational players, Oklahoma State commit Jason Taylor, a wide receiver and safety, and running back Dadrian Taylor, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards last year.

The Titans will use the Taylors as much as they can to replace the production of graduated do-it-all quarterback Johnny Bizzell.

Carl Albert begins its title defense on August 31 at Lawton.