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In just five short years Rochester head coach Derek Leonard has taken the Rockets program from being a .500 level school winning the 2010 Class 4A state football title.

Leonard, the son of Sacred Heart Griffin coaching legend Ken Leonard takes a few minutes to fill us in on the crazy 2010 season for the younger Leonard and the Rockets.

EDGYTIM blast off with Rochester head coach Derek Leonard.

EDGYTIM: Was the 2010 season as close to a dream season for you and your school as you can get? It was an unbelievable run from the start to the end. Talk about a few of the top memories from last season's 2010 Class 4A state championship run.

Derek Leonard: I'm not sure about a dream season but it definitely was a dream team for us. I have told people this....and I could go my entire life coaching and not find a group like that again. They were that dominating. I hope I have a few more teams get to that stage but as a group they were special last year. It was such a fun year last year especially when you consider how we ended the year before (41-40 last second loss to Metamora in the Class 4A state semifinals). Our goal was to get back to that same stage and to take the next step and we achieved all of our goals in a big way. It was also amazing how God just put everything in front of us last year and how it all ended up working out for us. The Sacred Heart game (13-10 Week 4 win) was just a storybook game...everything was perfect from the weather to the atmosphere and all of the hype and excitement around that game. We were both ranked number one and both undefeated. Then we had another big game at Chatham and then going to Quincy Notre Dame again in the playoffs and beating them. Then God put Metamora in front of us again and that's exactly what we wanted and that game was such a motivational point for our kids since we lost the game the previous year. Winning a state championship after having all of that come together like it did for us last year was the cherry on top. I guess the best way to describe last year would be to call it a dream season.

EDGYTIM: When does the buzz from winning a state football title end or has it ended yet?

Derek Leonard: It took awhile but I think it's finally come to an end for everyone. Rochester has had football for only 15 years now and even when I first came here Dave Jacobs did a great job of setting things up here, but we still had people around here who just didn't like football. That mindset really changed this year. The buzz from the state football title lasted all basketball season and beyond. We received all kinds of awards, then you go to the state capital for different honors and it just seemed like every few weeks something else would pop us. It was fun and it was a brand new experience for all of the kids and the whole community. About two months ago it really started to slow down and now I'm finally getting focused on this year and what we have coming up.

EDGYTIM: When did you realize just how potentially good the 2010 team was going to be?

Derek Leonard: The Griffin game was the game for me when I realized that we could compete at that level. I've seen so many teams in my time where teams would get ready to play SHG and SHG would just smoke them. I didn't want to fall into that same trap and I've seen so many teams and programs fall to SHG and fall badly when they thought they were ready and had a good team. My kids had never been in a game like that before and that week was absolutely crazy. I can't even explain it. The story-line of Leonard versus Leonard would of been good anyways but we both had really good teams and all of the hype just made that game so important for us last year in so many ways. Honestly I thought three years ago that we would be a pretty good team and program. I remember the first game three years ago at Mahomet we were losing 28-0 after the first quarter and we ended up losing 42-35. After that game I knew that after that first quarter we turned the corner as a program and we became men. After that I knew we had a chance to be special for the next few years.

EDGYTIM: It's interesting because timing is everything and it took a few years but you got things headed in the right direction playing in the Corn Belt. Last year you move from the Corn Belt to the Central State 8 and I guess the timing couldn't of been any better to make that move?

Derek Leonard: It truly was the best time for us to move into the Central State 8 last year. Rochester had always lost at least two games a year in the Corn Belt and in 2009 our last year in the conference we wanted to win the conference and that was one of our big goals that year along with winning a state title, but winning that last Corn Belt conference title was a stepping stone for us. It was really good for us in 2010 to have something new and a new set of challenges. It was refreshing because we had reached the peak in the Corn Belt and now it was time to set our sites higher. Moving over to the Central State 8 really had our kid's attention and made them refocus. We only have like 720 kids in the school and now we are playing much bigger schools in the Central State 8 and our kids took that as a challenge. We just loved that being a smaller school and used it to our advantage. I think even people around here knew we would be good last year but wondered if we could really be a factor in the CS8. We knew we could and a few others like my Dad (SHG head coach Ken Leonard) knew but a lot of people outside of Springfield had their doubts. It was fun for our kids and fun for the coaches and we set out what we wanted to prove last year in our first year in the Central State 8.

EDGYTIM: I've written and have told people that the SHG game last year might of been one of the best regular season games I've ever covered. The emotions from your entire team and community seemed so high after that 13-10 win. Did your feet ever really touch the ground after that game looking back on it now?

Derek Leonard: That game was no question a springboard for us for the rest of the year. Our kids wanted that game so bad. If you live here it's like living in Joliet and you are not playing for Joliet Catholic. Sacred Heart Griffin is Central Illinois football and they had a great team again and our kids had never played SHG before that game. That was actually a good thing because we just have seen teams go into that game already beaten mentally because they had played Griffin before and it just didn't work. Our kids came ready to play and that atmosphere for a regular season game.....I don't think I've seen as good of an atmosphere for any regular season game before and it just felt like a big playoff game. Again everything going into that game just set up perfectly. The game also lived up to the hype. It was tough for me and I know it was tough for my father. It might of been even harder for my Dad because he wants to see me do well. We had been dreading it for awhile and it was tough on so many levels for both of us. We had a whole year leading up to that game and we both knew we had good teams coming back. Yet he's competitive and I'm competitive and we had literally our entire family at the game. We had family come back from all over the country for that game. I still can't remember some of the stuff that happened from that game because it went by so fast. Even during the game I was in such a zone.

EDGYTIM: The 2009 playoff loss to Metamora no question was a heartbreaker (41-40). Was that game an example of being able to learn something positive from a loss?

Derek Leonard: I definitely think we learned something from that loss. Our senior group I think was highly motivated after that loss for the following year we won the state title. Our kids decided they were gonna make it happen no matter what they had to do to get it done. It was so devastating at the time for everyone. I felt so bad for the seniors from the 2009 team because they had as good of a team in 2009 as we had last season. The kids that year worked so hard and just had so much motivation. You just hate to lose that way and in that fashion and I felt so bad for those seniors because they deserved a better fate. Yet Metamora beat us and up until that game we had never been in an atmosphere like they had at Metamora. That Metamora game really helped us in a lot of ways for the 2010 season. We had a ton of big games in 2010 and that Metamora game prepared us all including myself and my staff big time. Looking back in the long run that game really helped us.

EDGYTIM: What are a few of the main difference you've seen so far between the Corn Belt and the Central State 8?

Derek Leonard: Three years ago when the Corn Belt had that good Central Catholic team and Pontiac was dominating that was a good conference. I would say if you take SHG out of the mix the top 3-4 Corn Belt schools can be very competitive with the Central State 8 teams. For me the difference is the bottom half of the conference when all of the Central State 8 are still pretty good. Year in and year out in the Corn Belt you have three teams that are pretty dominant and then you would have a drop-off. In the CS8 you have to come to play every week. Even the teams in the bottom of the conference have athletes and speed. If you don't tackle them they can break open a big play on every down. The biggest different to me has been the teams on the bottom half of the conferences. You have to come ready to play each week in the CS8 and the teams seem to have better overall speed compared to the Corn Belt.

EDGYTIM: What is in the water at Rochester? The past few years you seem to be producing these physically big and talented D-1 level kids.

Derek Leonard: Honestly I just think I've been lucky. With the exception of last year's team we generally have not had big kids physically over the years. This senior class had some huge kids but we've looked like some of the Riverside-Brookfield teams of the past upfront in particular. We are going to be more like that in 2011. The Lunt family has obviously been good for us and Sean (Robinson) was special and a once in a lifetime type of kid and player. Riley (McMinn) was honestly a basketball player and in 8th grade he was set on basketball. He liked football and we got lucky with him and he was also just a great all around athlete. Lucky for us he realized he couldn't shoot that well and decided to give football a try. The kids I think started to enjoy football and when they enjoy it they tend to come out more for football. I've been really lucky at the quarterback position in particular and I've had three of the best quarterbacks you can ask for so far. It's been an unbelievable run. It all starts with the signal caller and you better be good at that spot first to be successful. I've had some great kids and player who have dedicated themselves to getting better. I really have no answer to what's in the water here (laughing). The best answer I can give you is that we've just been lucky.

EDGYTIM: Wes Lunt is drawing a ton of recruiting looks and offers this spring. Talk about a few attributes that he brings to the table that maybe fans or college coaches don't realize from just watching game tape and highlights. And how good can Wes Lunt be?

Derek Leonard: What is special about Wes when you boil it all down is that he can just really throw the football. He can just throw the ball so good and he makes it look so effortless. His accuracy is outstanding and he can just sling it. With his size and his athletic ability I really think he can make it to the NFL someday if things go right for him. It all depends on if he gets into the right system at the right time and that's the case with every college player. Timing is everything. He has the "it" factor. He also had a ton of God given talent and abilities which is also an important part of the puzzle. If your not at least 6-foot-2 your just not going to be that highly recruited as a quarterback anymore. Wes is 6-foot-6, he has speed and can throw and can create a lot of different things on the run. Wes is also a good leader and he's a humble kid and a team player first and foremost. Wes also had some pretty big shoes to fill between his older brother Will and then Sean (Robinson) at quarterback for us. Yet Wes handled it and the way he got it done was just really impressive. You've talked to him and he's just a very humble kid and a polite kid. Wes is one of those kid who you just get a feeling that he's going to make it. It all boils down to...man he can throw!

EDGYTIM: 2011. I know it's still early but give us an early preview of what to expect from the Rockets.

Derek Leonard: Out of 22 positions we will need to find replacements this year for 18 of those 22 so we have a lot shoes to fill. It's going to be tough to replace those kids but we also have a lot of good young kids who have been waiting for their chance. These kids had been getting beat up by last year's senior group so they have been going against a really good and tough group of kids everyday in practice. To me that's how great team stay great because you build up those younger kids up then give them a shot. You have to become better just to defend yourself each day. We have a lot of question marks and we have a lot of things to figure out. The summer will be huge for us because we have a lot of positions open. I know we are good with the guy pulling the trigger and our receivers are pretty good. The rest of the spots are open but I'm excited for the season. We need to work really hard but I like our chances.

EDGYTIM: From a football perspective what's the best advice your Dad (Ken Leonard) has given you?

Derek Leonard: Wow that's a good question. I was able to see so much football watching my Dad I joke that I had a 25 year internship. I just knew very early on what I wanted to do in life and had such a great teacher and example tight in my own house everyday. The two things I learned from my Dad was to never take it too seriously and to put God and family first. If the job ever overwhelms you then your in big trouble because you can never satisfy everybody and someone is always not going to like you no matter what. If you don't have your priorities straight then your going to be in trouble. On the football side my dad really taught me to coach what makes you happy and who you are and to adapt to your team. Some coaches will do the same thing no matter who they have. We take pride in being a spread offense but you look at the different teams my dad has had over the years and he's adjusted to it's strengths. The Eric Peterman teams ran the ball a ton then in other years they threw it a ton because that is what they could do best. You have to do what your team is best at and adjust to their strengths. It's mot like in college where you can recruit kids to fit in your system. I take the kids I have and work with what I have the best way I can. I also learned from my Dad that you need to have fun and enjoy coaching. We have found a way that I can relate to and that the kids also can relate to and so far it's working. I was a quarterback and I love running fast and no huddle. It's like I'm still at quarterback and I can audible when I want. Yet I still try to adapt to the kid's talents and strengths and they seem to be having as much fun as I am.

EDGYTIM: What is the biggest issue in your opinion we are facing these days in high school football?

Derek Leonard: That's tough. Luckily this hasn't been a problem here at Rochester but I keep hearing about it from other coaches is parents and the expectations from them. I think that between the expectations from parents along with how other sports have become so selfish it could become a much bigger issue down the road in football. Football so far I think is the best because we don't have any AAU or club sports yet. With AAU especially in basketball you don't seem to have any concept of winning or losing anymore. Kids can play AAU basketball and go to thee summer tournament and they can go 1-10 but they were seen by coaches so it's a win for them. A lot of those kids have lost the total concept and the importance of winning and also the summer coaches become more important than the high school coaches. The great thing about football is that it hasn't gotten to that yet but you can also see it starting to bubble under and unfortunately it's coming. I've been lucky here because these kids have bought into the team concept and even in the real world I think we are really losing that team concept. Eventually it's not always going to be that way and hopefully that doesn't make it's way into the sport we all love but I can also see that coming down the road.