Well, the weekend is over and Labor Day is through, but the work is just beginning for area high school football teams laboriously preparing for Seamount League season games.

One word comes to mind quickly when watching the Evergreen Wolverines' practice recently at Highline Stadium.

Ready.

"We are pretty ready to play," said Evergreen head coach Shaun Tarantola, who has transformed this team from beginners to winners in this now his third season which included the playoffs last season and an 8-2 record.

"These guys are getting pretty feisty."

Tarantola looked like a coach in control as he actively participated in drills, including the plays that the team will use in their upcoming games, throwing the ball and handing it off and making sure everyone understood the plays as they were run.

He does a lot of work. And it shows in how seamless a two-hour practice looked.

"This is our last real practice (last Wednesday)," said Tarantola. "Tomorrow is a walk-through of everything."

And last Friday was the first game of the season against Nathan Hale, a non-league game, with a non-league opponent Sumner waiting this Friday.

"We are ready for this. We know all the plays. We have prepared in every way imaginable," said Tarantola, talking a last time before practice adjourned last Wednesday, signaling the end of hard workouts and run-throughs of drills and plays before the season began against Nathan Hale.

'Why all the questions' is a paraphrase but it is what Tarantola will tell a player that does not get things asked and answered prior to game day.

"Take care of all your questions by end of tomorrow's practice. Game day is the day that coaches get everything ready and prepared. That is the worst day to come to us with questions. Alright, we're ready."

Practice then ended that day.

Evergreen this season has so many seniors working hard out there that the leadership reigns were hard to give to just one guy to come and tell about the team, or even, two, three, or four.

Tarantola sent over nine guys, all seniors.

Each player was asked to give one word to describe this season that included a 27-7 halftime lead over 3A state runner-up Kennedy last season before the Lancers rattled off 30-something unanswered points in the second half to beat Evergreen. Also, the other Wolverines' loss was to Camas in that Vancouver, Wash. area team's hometown, 23-17, in the first round of the 3A state playoffs.

So all nine of these seniors have got a shot to answer why this team is good or what they felt was their best choice of words to describe this team this season. Then they were asked why they believed in the word they chose.

"Desire," said Charles Webster, who stands at 6-1, 195. "We are really dedicated."

Luther Leonard (6-2, 190), the team's four-year starting quarterback who threw for over 1,500 yards spoke.

"Good, no, great," he said. "Yeah, great. Because good is an understatement. I said 'great' because greatness is a habit, not a choice."

Nuve Kongaika, at 5-11, 225 said, "Hard-hitting. We hit and run people over."

Kyle Tunney (5-7, 175), a four-year starter at running back, said, "Fast. We just are."

Sam Williams, a 6-1, 195 wide receiver said, "Disciplined. Because in the game of football, you have to have discipline."

Johnny Jackson, a 6-0, 175 running back said, "Determined. Because we all have the same goal. And we make sure no one is working harder than us."

Kirt Terry (5-7, 165) is a running back force and he said "dedicated. This is what we have been doing since day one. We have been out here since most of us are in their freshmen and sophomores years."

Vicente Cordova (6-2,185), is a wide receiver who has gone to state in track the past three years. He said, "Hard working. We came into the weightroom starting last January," he said, adding, "We are going to win that championship and it will lead to this one (state championship)."

Cory Laufasa (5-11, 225) is ready to keep people off Leonard and to go after opposing teams' quarterbacks.

He said, "State. Win state," he added, clarifying that getting to the state playoffs is not what he meant. "Because anything less than that would be underachieving."

The players were then asked to say something about their coaches again. They were asked to choose one word and one word only.

"Dedicated," said Webster.

"Fun," said Leonard.

"Sacrifice," said Laufasa.

"Family," said Kongaika.

"Pride," said Tunney.

"Hard-working," said Williams.

"Over and beyond," said Jackson, admitting he couldn't say just one word. "They go between the lines."

And, along those same lines was what Vicente Cordova said, "Irreplaceable."

Terry said, "Intelligent."

So those are words to describe the coaching, which includes Andy Arena doing offensive line and defensive coordinator jobs, Eddie Antuna doing linebacking coaching and Lelo Teo doing defensive line and running backs coachwork along with special teams.

About Tarantola, the head coach who took this close to winless program four years ago to three, four wins in just his first season to a sparkling .800 winning percentage last season. The nine seniors said a few things about him, and were not asked to name one word this time.

"He's dedicated and more than a coach," said Webster.

"Nice hair," said Jackson. "Yeah, he's like a little brother."

Leonard is close to a 4.0 student, not just devastating throwing the football and running the team into the playoffs for the last year as the quarterback.

"Nice hair," said Leonard.

"I just said that," said Jackson.

"Oh," said Leonard, adding, "nice hair" and chuckling as Jackson came over to say something."

It was buzz words for "You're taking my five seconds of fame here" or something like that.

"He is determined to turn this program around. Not many coaches that will take off-time to work with quarterbacks and wide receivers," said Cordova.

Said Jackson, more talking of Tarantola, "He made adjustments to a whole different type of program."

"He is easy to get along with," added Leonard.

That said, the experience word has to crop up as this team is so ready to go like coach Tarantola said, 'Feisty.' And the inexperience of losing to Camas will be remembered.

Tarantola mentioned that his team turned the ball over nine times and learned the value of protecting the ball as he said they dominated Camas in almost every other category but turnovers.

These nine players were asked of what to expect of last year's experience leading to helping this year's season.

"One more year," said Leonard. "I think we have, what , 15 seniors returning."

Webster said, "We have the experience of playing in the playoff atmosphere."

Laufasa said, "Last year we were physically ready. And now with the two losses last year it gave us a mental readiness."

Kongaika added, "Experience has taught us that we can play as one. We are not too worried about our (individual) stats."

The most experience belongs to Laufasa, Leonard, Jackson, Tunney, all playing as four-year starters entering this season. Al the others, but Webster, are three year starters of the nine seniors leading this team.

So, better than last year? The players sure think so. But what about the coach?

"That's our expectation," said Tarantola. "You never know but we are hoping that."