SLIPPERY ROCK — It was a sacrifice no one really wanted to make.

But because of circumstances beyond their control, the seniors on the Slippery Rock High football team in 2009 suffered through a lost season.

Clyde Conti resigned shortly after a District 10 championship game loss to Wilmington in 2008. Joe Lamenza was hired and abruptly left in July. Glenn Hazlet took over in August but had little time to get an offense in place.

A 2-7 season followed.

"I've had three different coaches in three years," said senior lineman Shawn McGonigle. "Last year, we had to learn an entire new offense in two weeks. Everyone was stressed out. There was fighting in camp. We just weren't a team last year."

But Brendan Hathaway was hired in April to change all of that. One of the first things he did was assemble a staff that includes former Rockets players.

Travis Sarver and Jono Powell, two of the most successful players in the program's history, are on board.

That's not lost on the returning players.

"I remember when I was younger watching Travis Sarver play," said senior running back Brandon Henry. "I look up to him."

Sarver will work with the running backs and defensive backs. Powell is working with the junior high quarterbacks.

Some of the players on the roster played with Powell.

"It's great to have those guys," Hathaway said. "It's funny. We were in the coach's office yesterday watching tape of Jono's D-10 championship game against Wilmington and we had about 30 guys lined up watching.

"Hey, those guys have been with the program when the program has been up. They are great coaches and great people," he added.

Hathaway wasted little time setting the tone. A former marine, he is about as subtle as a drill sergeant — and the players have responded.

"He's real old fashioned. He's a marine — that was the first thing he told us — so we knew we were probably going to be running a lot," McGonigle said, laughing. "Conditioning isn't going to be a problem."

Sarver, who helped lead the Rockets to the PIAA semifinals in 2003, wants this group of players to experience the same feeling he and his teammates did.

The first step toward that goal is getting past the tumult of 2009.

"Brendan has a lot of enthusiasm and keeps everyone upbeat," Sarver said. "As an alumnus, I'm really happy we got a guy like Brendan. He's not only committed to the school, but he's here in the community. These seniors have been here four years. They deserve a shot."

McGonigle said he doesn't believe the seniors got one last year.

He was concerned that the new regime would see this season as a rebuilding period and focus more on development than winning.

Hathaway, though, said he's sacrificing nothing.

"That was a big lift off our shoulders," McGonigle said. "We had seniors last year, and their season was sacrificed and they worked their butts off for four years. For their season to get sacrificed because they didn't have a coach, that was a big blow. Knowing we have a coach and our season isn't going to get sacrificed means a lot.

"Other teams may say it's just Slippery Rock, but we're not just Slippery Rock," McGonigle added. "We're a team this year."