Garland Naaman Forest is 3-0 for the first time since 2003, but coach Bill Patterson said, "It doesn't mean anything."

"What counts is the next seven weeks," said Patterson, whose team is off this week. "You don't get trophies for being 3-0. You get trophies for winning district and going to the playoffs."

Joe Jenkins-Dill, a senior tackle leading a defense that has allowed just 4.3 points per game, said his team faced a tough week of practice.

"There's always things to do, always things that can be better," Jenkins-Dill said. "The longer you go into the season, the more you need this practice."

The conditioning, too, was tough. The team ran five 200-yard sprints after Tuesday's practice.

"I'm the guy who, the more they complain, the more we run," Patterson said. "It's only going to help us."

Greg Tepper