HELENA — As No. 9 Carroll College ranks inside the top 10 of the NAIA national poll for the first time since 2023, MTN Sports' Jonny Walker sat down with Fighting Saints head coach Troy Purcell.
A full transcript from the video interview with Purcell is available below:
MTN Sports: Another week, another move up in the NAIA national poll. It seems like every week you guys are moving up. Just what do you make of that?
Troy Purcell: You know, we're where we want to be. It means a lot, but it doesn't mean anything. We just got to continue to get better. And it's a place where we need to be. Because then when you hopefully get into the playoffs, you're in a high ranking where you're not traveling across the world playing the best person in the nation — or supposedly ranked in the nation at the first round.
MTN Sports: When you talk about needing to get better every day — you're into the bye week now; you’ve got three games left to go — if there's one thing you could zero in on that this team needs to improve on, what would that be?
Troy Purcell: I think it's just overall technique all the way around. You know, our special teams work. They can always improve. We don't spend a lot of drill work time. So, this gives us an opportunity to get back down pretty much to the basics of the blocking and tackling, parting the first and the execution of your job. Once we get to the season then it becomes more scheme oriented to get through what scheme we want to do that for that game.
MTN Sports: You’re on a five-game winning streak right now. Obviously, you’re ranked back inside the top 10. I'd assume morale is pretty high, but how do you make sure the guys stay locked in and focused in the way that they need to be going through the rest of the season?
Troy Purcell: They have some internal goals. And they know the realization — they've been in big games in high school, big games here. And they know the expectations of a practice mentality and a practice tempo. So, we had a good practice tempo, an opportunity to learn.
And (then) we're going to go at 6 (a.m.), nice and early. And then they get a little bit of time on the weekend. And so, it’s an opportunity to get better. It’s an opportunity to put your mind at ease for a little bit and then get ready to amp it up on Monday.
