Catching up with Tanner Ireland

Every good high school coach will tell you that games aren't won in August, they are won in the summer months leading up to the season. One school hard at work is Sandia HS, led by Tanner Ireland. Ireland has dedicated the summer to try and improve any way he can, with his team. We had a chance to catch up with him to get his thoughts on the summer and this season.

Sandia HS should have a very strong team in 2008.  They have good players coming back at nearly every position and are always well coached.  We had the chance to track down one of their leaders in Tanner Ireland.  Ireland is a very good student and his hearing from a very prestigious academic school who is interested in him as a player as well.

“I have not received any scholarship offers at this time, but I am still in the process of sending out transcripts and recruitment questionnaires.  One of the schools I am hearing a lot from is Holy Cross in Massachusetts.”

So much nowadays is made into what camps will a player be attending and how many combines etc.  We asked Tanner his plans for the summer and his response was different than most of the athletes we have talked to.  Tanner is fully committed to his senior season and his Sandia teammates this summer.  “I am not currently planning on attending any camps this year.  Right now I am committed to hard work to get ready for next season and the Sandia Football team is also dedicating ourselves to working hard for a prosperous year.”  That’s a very mature answer and an answer that is expected from one of the better leaders on the team.

As a leader of the team we asked him what his thoughts are on this upcoming season.  “We have nineteen seniors this year and a good majority of them are returning starters.  As a team we are thoroughly excited about this up coming year.”