The Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2013-2014 season and have had three coaching changes since then.

Coach Le’Sean Marks has recently been hired as head basketball coach of the Nighthawks and is looking to change the program's culture.

“It’s been gratifying and challenging at the same time,” Marks said. “It can be hard for the players to break old and bad habits.”

If the players want to succeed under the guidance of Marks, they will have to break those habits and embrace the positive change that is starting to take place in the program.

Marks wants the team to be unified and has noticed their attitude is changing for the better.

“The players are more together now than they were when I got here, and it’s only been six or seven months,” Marks said. “We’ve progressed a lot and have received compliments from others that we’ve progressed a lot as well.” 

Ironwood Ridge Athletic Director Tony Jacobsen has also noticed the changes happening in the basketball program.

“I feel there is a positive spark right now,” Jacobsen said. “I feel the players and the community are excited to get something established moving forward."

In the past, Ironwood Ridge basketball has been looked upon as an easy win. Marks feels that is changing.

“The mentality on us now is we battle,” Marks said. “It takes time to be talented and skilled, but you can be a team with a reputation of working hard and battling. That can happen overnight with effort.”

Marks also has a great strategy when dealing with the outside noise from other teams.

“We ignore the negatives and embrace the positives,” Marks said. “If a team has the mentality we aren’t going to challenge them, then our job is to come out there and prove them wrong.”

Jacobsen thinks that is changing as well.

“I’ll go back to when I was coaching,” Jacobsen said. “Even when things weren’t going well, we always expected to compete.”

“Our concern isn’t about what anyone else thinks,” Jacobsen added. “We take care of our business on the basketball floor and in the classroom and I would say Coach Marks has the same policy.”

Jacobsen is right when saying the Nighthawks need to focus on themselves before worrying about what other teams are saying.

Marks also says that if the positive culture change that the players and administration say is happening is taking place, Ironwood will soon be back to its winning ways.

Several players have also noticed the culture changes taking place in the program.

Senior guard Rian Palma thinks the Nighthawks are playing more as a team.

“Last year and past years it was bad,” Palma said. “There were selfish players, but we work harder together this year and that is what’s changing.”

Palma also said that Marks has better game preparation than in the past. They have better scouted match-ups that will prepare each player to be successful when they are on the court.

The players on Ironwood’s team appreciate the honesty that Marks gives them on their game and improvements they should make. 

“At first it’s a little weird because we aren’t used to that,” Palma said. “He gives us the truth and that helps us improve.”

Junior forward Erik Cochran feels that the team’s attitude toward the offseason and gameday preparation has changed a lot.

“We enjoy having an everyday preparation and it seems like the right training,” Cochran added. “We’re constantly doing stuff and we haven’t done that before”

This offseason conditioning has also helped the Ironwood players feel more confident this season.

“We feel like we are faster than a lot of teams and can press the whole game,” Cochran said.

The players feel like they have done more conditioning than in the past.

Both Palma and Cochran mentioned being in the weight room and running on the track which can be very beneficial to for the athletes.

One thing very noticeable throughout Ironwood hoops is the consistency of the goals and expectations everyone has for the team.

“We want to make sure every night after the game, even if the other team won, we want the other team saying that ‘Ironwood made us work,’ ” Marks said.

Both Palma and Cochran say they are looking to make the playoffs.

“We all believe we can do it,” Cochran said. “We have to have the mentality as a team and I believe we do.”

Jacobsen has the same expectations as Marks, which is to compete. It’s important that players understand the wins and a chance at playoffs will come if they compete.

Jacobsen also knows the tradition of Ironwood sports wants the basketball team to play up to the Nighthawk standard. 

“The perception is we should be at a certain level,” Jacobsen said. “In general, Ironwood Ridge athletics compete for conference championships and tend to compete at a state playoff level.”

“At some point are we going to get to that point? The answer to that is yes, and I think we could easily do that this year,” Jacobsen said.

This year Ironwood wants to come together as a team and compete every night.

“If we desire to be a state championship program, that’s the comraderie that most state championship teams have,” Marks said. “They have the team unity and give their best effort on the court and then they are talented.”

It is clear that Marks has a lot of confidence that his team will come together and can make a late season push for playoffs.

The Nighthawks have the talent, competitiveness and show the effort to be a winning team.

“Ultimately, in the years to come, we want the young men that come out of Ironwood Ridge to not only be young men of talent but be young men of character,” Marks said. “When people think of Ironwood Ridge we want them to say ‘those boys aren’t just a good team, they do everything right.”

It seems that the Nighthawks have a coach that genuinely cares about the way his team plays the game of basketball and how they treat others.

Marks wants his team to be full of well-rounded individuals who compete and show effort anytime they step on the court.

The Nighthawks are well on their way back to a state playoff team under Marks.