It is officially a new era for Covington Academy football.

First year head coach Isaiah Ellis took over the program during the offseason and he has wasted no time retooling and reshaping a team that is looking to make a rise.

“It isn't going to be the same Covington Academy that we have been seeing over the past 10 years. It is going to be a completely different team. I think teams I expect will prepare as if they are going against the old Covington Academy, but they are going to be in for a rude awakening.”

The Bulldogs finished last season with a 2-7 record that saw them go winless in GAPPS Region 2-A. The two-win year came after back-to-back seasons with zero wins.

Now under Ellis, the team has taken significant strides since the start of his tenure.

“The current state when I arrived is that a lot of the guys weren’t in shape but we saw a lot of athletic potential,” Ellis said. “After working them hard in the weight room, running them hard and working through drills, I started to see more coordination. I have also acquired more athletes. During the season, it's going to be a completely different team.”

Even as Ellis hit the ground running with the team, he noted that they have bought in to everything he has been preaching during the offseason

“After the first day and they saw how I ran things — they are very loyal, they listen to anything I have,” Ellis said. “They may moan or groan about it, but they realize if you want to win the championship, you have to have a championship standard. I set the standard day one and all the players are buying in.”

One issue that Ellis addressed almost immediately was the team’s depth.

Ellis noted how the team will have very few players that will play on both sides of the ball as the team has gained numbers over the offseason.

“We have a lot of issues with a lot of players going both ways, but we have enough players where we have a separate offense and defense,” Ellis said. “Only a few players will go both ways, we will be able to switch players out and that plays a part in players getting tired and going against teams that have a deep roster like that.

“We are expecting maybe one or two to go both ways. We have a bunch of younger guys but we have a big senior class on the team. They have stepped up into leadership positions. It is going to be a different environment for the players at practice and in the games.”

As a first-year coach with the Bulldogs, Ellis tabbed two players that have already become leaders for the locker room — Aiden Robinson and Caleb Price.

“He[Robinson] is a linebacker but he will be doubling up,” Ellis said. “Playing a little bit of receiver in certain situations. He keeps the team in check and is making sure everyone on both sides of the ball is on point.

“Caleb Price is another rising leader on the team,” Ellis said. “He is willing to play any position on the ball. A lot of players — when I came in — were willing to listen to him. He is playing positions from quarterback to defensive line and linebacker. He has told me, ‘Anywhere you want to put me coach, I just want to win.’”

The Bulldogs' offense will feature its fair share of athletes, as Ellis noted how the team has zero receivers that stand under six-feet.

However, one of the main focal points of the offense will be how the team can move its personnel in the backfield.

“Our offense is fast paced, rarely any huddles. Everything is called from the line. Specialize in the flex offense where we have two wing backs and a running back. With the running back and receiver depth we have, we can change personnel and split flex heavy packages where tight ends line up at running back or defensive linemen line up at running back.”

As the team looks to emerge as an entirely new Covington Academy football program, Ellis has put the extra emphasis on making sure his players play as a team.

“I told the players, 'Even with the dietary restrictions, If one player messes up their diet, the whole team gets published,’” Ellis said. “I compare it to if a receiver drops the ball on the last play of the game on the winning touchdown catch, they are not going to say that receiver lost, they will say Covington Academy lost. [It’s] vice-versa when we win a game. There are no individuals on our team, everyone is in their position and they have a role they have to play.”