By JIM STEELE

It was a rather warm Monday afternoon at the Holland Sportsplex practice field on the campus of McKenzie High School.

Perhaps it wasn't as infernal as it has been in the past, but it was still plenty warm. And like sunrise, death and taxes, the McKenzie Rebels were out there on that practice field trying to get better.

But you didn't just see this year's edition of Rebels. There were blasts from the past out there trying to make sure that the practice field was in better shape than it was when they got there. UTM signee Derek Carr was there offering his advise to the passers. Tyler Moore and Elijah Harris were interested onlookers, ready to lend a hand.

It was a summer day in July. Those guys didn't have to be there. But they were. They didn't have to be in the weightroom back in the winter months, but they were. They didn't have to be out there in a freezing snowstorm during spring scrimmages, but they were.

Then take a closer look at the guys wearing whistles around their necks. There is David Duncan, a former standout for the 2001 Rebel football team, a team that went 13-1 and reached the state semifinals. Then you see Jay Taylor, part of the 2002 Rebels squad that shocked everyone with a state semifinal appearance and a 9-4 mark. Those guys are now McKenzie coaches, guys who have played for head coach Wade Comer and who have been part of this pre-season ritual. They've experienced the heat, the soreness, the bumps and bruises. They also have experienced the spoils of their efforts. There is little wonder why McKenzie has gone 78-24 in that span.

Winning happens for a reason. Yeah, sometimes, teams win because they have extra superior talent, but those instances are rare. But McKenzie has been winning for a long time. It is starting, albeit belatedly, to earn a reputation by the regional pundits as being a legitimate contender. They are just catching on to things we already know.

McKenzie football players and coaches pay attention to detail starting in January when the Rebels return to the off-season conditioning program. Then comes spring practice, where players learn the system, try to fill graduation voids and compete for jobs. Then comes the summer conditioning program and passing league. Then the pre-season. McKenzie's path to numerous victories is a well-orchestrated march.

The Rebels are starting to emulate the plan of Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and former Bethel baseball coach Glenn Hayes have done the same thing. They bring in players who have gone through the wars with the respective coaches. Coach K even concedes that assisants, like Steve Wojciechowski and Chris Collins, often remind COack K of plays used in the past that the coache may have forgotten. They also know how pratices work, how to organize time, what to expect in games and how to plan for exams and travel.

This trickle down works for the Rebels, too.

Winning isn't an accident. It happens for a reason. McKenzie has been winning for a long time and with people who know how to win. Now they are getting coaches who know how to win.

It all works together. It has been for a long time and it's a good bet that it will for a long time.