It will take more than a culture change to make Danville football successful again, but Frank Parks Jr. thinks that’s a pretty good place to start.

Parks is encouraged by the changes he has seen in the Admirals’ attitude and commitment, and the coach believes that can help them reverse course.

A prolonged period of turmoil in the program culminated in the worst season in the program’s history last year, but Parks said the next generation of Admirals is taking the necessary steps to affect change.

“There’s a lot more positivity, and the culture has changed,” Parks said. “You could tell on the practice field they’re more confident due to the work they’ve put in. … You can see a different level of play and camaraderie amongst the group.”

Whether that will lead to wins for a team that didn’t get even one last season remains to be seen. Danville is still very young and will again have less experience and less size than virtually every opponent in Parks’ second season.

Even so, there are indications that the Admirals are a better team, and Parks is absolutely sure of it.

“We’ll see how the results play out, but as a team we are much better than we were at any point last year,” he said. “I think we actually have an identity. They understand what we’re trying to accomplish, who we are at the end of the day.”

Where will that manifest itself?

“I think you’ll see in all areas, in the attitude, the effort, the discipline, in them fighting and not giving up. And I’m pretty sure you’ll see it in the win-loss column as well,” Parks said. “It’s going to be evident in how they play, how they approach the game.”

There is a scoreboard at every field where the Admirals will play, and it will reflect the results that matter most on Friday nights. Parks said getting that first win – preferably sooner rather than later – will go a long way toward validating their efforts.

“It will help tremendously,” he said. “It will just reinforce all the hard work that we’ve put in. … It’s going to push them to work even harder, because now they understand that all those little things that we have done and the attention to detail that we have preached has paid off so they can continue to move forward.”

He said the culture change is rooted in accountability.

“For us to make the change and head in the right direction, they would have to hold each other accountable,” Parks said. “Coaches can reinforce or try to implement things, but if the players don’t take some ownership in it it makes it tougher. We’re fortunate to have a very good group of young guys who took some ownership and want to have some success, and slowly but surely that culture has changed.”

Parks said players bought into offseason workouts, encouraging each other to wake up early and get to the weight room on time, and he said they’re continuing to buy in on the practice field.

Parks and his staff also have been able to teach the game at a higher level than they could a year ago, both because their acute level of inexperience last didn’t allow for adjustments on the fly and because they are more willing to learn.

“This year, we have been able to grow a little bit and to add some wrinkles and be a little bit more sound in certain formations because the group has been so coachable and willing to put in the work,” Parks said.

It’s also a stronger team thanks to all that work in the weight room. Though there are exceptions, they are still relatively small on the whole, but Parks said he saw evidence of increased strength in their first preseason scrimmage.

“Even though we were a little bit smaller, we were strong so we were able to play a little bit more physical,” he said.

Danville will place a priority on improving a defense that allowed 44 points per game last season. New defensive coordinator Mike Morton, who once played for Parks, has accepted that responsibility.

Parks said the Admirals’ defensive front will be more of a force with junior Sasha Wade, who returns from an injury and has emerged as a team leader; sophomore Keghan Jones and senior Josiah Israel.

Junior David Shelton and sophomore Chandon Carter will be key players at linebacker – Carter is the top returning tackler – and senior Kyren Coleman, juniors Kingston Jones and Gavin Walker and sophomore Trinden Sellers will be part of the secondary.

Carter has taken over at quarterback after playing primarily on defense last year, and Parks said he will be a dual threat capable of throwing and running.

Sellers, who had 246 receiving yards last year, will be used in different ways to get the ball in his hands. Newcomer J’Kaivin Walker will also catch passes, and Coleman and sophomore Jutayvion Beasley will provide a 1-2 punch at running back.

The offensive line will feature senior Aiden Lanigan and sophomore Jamaree Johnson along with players like Keghan Jones, Shelton and Wade.

“We always talk about being balanced, and there may be some weeks the defense has got to play a little bit better than the offense and some weeks the offense has got to play better than the defense,” Parks said. “I think we’ll be explosive enough to put up some points, and at the same time I think with our style of play and trying to make people run east and west that we’ll be able to play some very sound defense.”

There are only four seniors, including returning kicker-punter Kaleb Wilcher, and there are 15 sophomores on the 35-man roster.

Parks said leadership has come from the seniors and from juniors such as Wade and Shelton and even from underclassmen.

“You have even some of the younger guys at times who will step in and make some comments and make sure everyone’s on the same page and doing the things that are necessary for us to have some success and move the program forward and create the success we all are looking for,” Parks said.

Danville’s first game

Danville opens its season Friday against East Jessamine – the game is in a bowl at West Jessamine – which went 2-9 last year and is looking to reverse its fortunes in its first season under coach Trenton Fields, who was Danville’s offensive coordinator in Parks’ first season.

“You know they’re going to be well prepared offensively and do some things, so we’re going to have to be prepared,” Parks said.

Parks said Danville will try to take advantage of its athleticism to create favorable matchups on both sides of the ball.

“I think it’s the ultimate speed versus size game, and we’re going to use our speed to make their big boys run,” he said. “They’re going to have some size, but I don’t think they necessarily would be able to match our speed.”

Danville at a glance

Coach: Frank Parks Jr.

2023 record: 0-11

Top returnees: Chandon Carter, So. QB-LB; Kyren Coleman, Sr. WR-DB; Josiah Israel, Sr. OL-DL; Keghan Jones So. OL-DL; Kingston Jones, Jr. WR-DB; Aiden Lanigan, Sr. OL-DL; Trinden Sellers, So. WR-DB; David Shelton, Jr. OL-LB; Sasha Wade, Jr. OL-DL; Gavin Walker, Jr. WR-DB; Kaleb Wilcher, Sr. K-P.

Schedule

Aug. 23 x-East Jessamine 6:00

Aug. 30 PULASKI COUNTY 7:30

Sept. 6 LINCOLN COUNTY 7:30

Sept. 13 at Mercer County 7:30

Sept. 20 KNOX CENTRAL 7:30

Oct. 3 at Campbellsville 7:30

Oct. 11 LESLIE COUNTY 7:30

Oct. 18 SOMERSET 7:30

Oct. 25 at Breathitt County 7:30

Nov. 1 at Bardstown 7:30

x-at West Jessamine