In a nutshell, the goal of first-year head football coach Matt Garno is to make sure his Whiteford Bobcats have attitude, not an attitude problem.

And like most coaches who make the jump from the assistant ranks, Garno, 36, has borrowed his mission statement from experience.

For him, that came from Blissfield High School, where he was part of head coach Ron Estes' success in turning the Royals' program from a Lenawee County Athletic Association cellar dweller into a consistent winner that has earned statewide football respect.

When Garno, a 10-year Blissfield assistant, joined Estes at a coaching clinic several years ago, they took part in an educational session. They were asked to come up with one word to define their program.

Estes and Garno each scribbled the word "attitude."

Judging by the Royals' recent run, this theme has worked very well at Blissfield.

The team, which had been riding a 33-game losing streak when Estes became head coach in 2002, transformed almost overnight into what is a perennial playoff qualifier, and the Royals were Division 6 state runners-up in 2007.

Thus, it was a no-brainer for Garno to apply the Blissfield "attitude" at Whiteford.

It began in March when he was hired to succeed Bobcats coaching icon Jack Luettke, who retired following the 2009 season after 29 years as Whiteford's head coach.

Although Whiteford never had made a deep playoff run under Luettke, the Bobcats were frequent playoff participants and typically in the mix near the top of the Tri-County Conference standings.

To help in the transition, Garno - who brought in new offensive and defensive schemes - needed to sell himself and his emphasis on attitude to the returning Whiteford players. The initial step was installing Blissfield's offseason weight-training program, a notable change at Whiteford that required commitment akin to basic training in the military.

Bobcats football prospects were asked to be a part of voluntary

6:30 a.m. weight lifting sessions three times a week.

"These players have done everything I've asked," Garno said. "I told them what the program was going to be like, what the expectations were, and what we needed to get accomplished."

Bobcat senior captains Cody Donnelly and Derek Marckel acknowledge the team has adapted well to the 6:30 a.m. training routine.

"Cody brings great leadership," Garno said. "He leads by example. He's not a real vocal guy, but he's always there working hard and performing well. He's good in the classroom and has a job outside of school. He's everything you want a kid to be who's in your program.

"Derek's also not a real vocal kid. But he never misses a weight room [session], he's a great student, and he's always at the front of the pack when we're doing conditioning drills. With both of those guys, other people feed off of their work ethic more than anything. You don't have to say a lot. They just get it done."

Through three games Donnelly, a starter at running back and safety, had led Whiteford offensively, rushing 37 times for 193 yards and scoring five touchdowns. Marckel, who starts at guard and defensive end, led the Bobcat defense with 20 total tackles, including eight stops for losses totaling 52 yards through three games.

Donnelly and Marckel admitted Luettke's retirement was emotional for the team. They were reluctant to start the early morning training, but it's paying off.

"I think it did help us. We're a lot stronger and more physically fit than we were last year," Donnelly said. "We're more in shape and we can last longer in practice. It makes the team more committed to be there."

"We like it now," Marckel said. "It's still rough getting up that early in the morning, but everyone's staying loose now. No one's pulling any muscles or anything, and we're all a lot stronger. You can see a big difference in everybody. We were confident coming into the season because we were stronger and faster."

Whiteford enters Friday's Tri County Conference test against visiting Clinton with a 3-1 overall record and (2-0 conference) after Friday's 15-14 win at Sand Creek.

The Bobcats opened the season with a 34-6 win over Pittsford, but were brought back to reality by a 39-6 home loss to Blissfield.

"When they beat us, I was wanting to get back to work right away," Garno said. "We expected a much better game, and hopefully I can deliver on that next year, and get these guys ready to do it.

"It was humbling. I think our eyes were a little big. [Blissfield] has a great program over there and I think our guys have to learn to get ready for those types of games. It was a good learning experience for us, and I'm glad it came early in the season. Success like theirs doesn't come overnight."

Whiteford got back on track Sept. 10 with a 49-8 TCC win over Garno's alma mater, Adrian Madison.

The Bobcats will need to win three of their remaining five games to automatically qualify for the Michigan playoffs, most likely in the Division 7 bracket.

But, win or lose, creating a team attitude and rising with the roosters to pump iron has paid dividends. This is evidenced by two atypical varsity players.

Senior Kevin Daniels, a backup split end and cornerback, is in his first season playing football. He previously ran cross country in the fall, but wanted to be a part of the football team this year. Garno said Daniels places first in many practice drills, especially those involving endurance. According to Garno, Daniels has the "attitude."

"He doesn't get to play much, but he's doing everything he can," Garno said. "He could be an accomplished runner, but he wanted to be a part of a team. He's the kind of kid to build a team around."

Another example is backup lineman Kent Waterford, a senior who has used the weight-training program to transform his previously heavy frame into a slimmer, stronger physique. His vastly improved physical condition has enabled Waterford to rise from a junior who played junior varsity football to a contributing senior on the varsity.

"The big thing is his commitment level. He's helping us with things that he couldn't do last year," Garno said. "That's an example of the work these guys have put in."

Garno avoids talk of expectations in terms of wins and losses, referring instead to a new motivational theme.

"We came up with an acronym and stuck with it," Garno said. "It spells out B-O-B-C-A-T-S, and it's 'Bring Our Best Competitive Attitude and Team Spirit.'

Contact Steve Junga at:

sjunga@theblade.com or

419-724-6461.

First Published September 22, 2010, 12:57 a.m.