TIOGA, Texas (KTEN) - When a new head coach takes over a program, usually there is a lot to fix or clean up. However that is not the case at Tioga.

"It's not too often that a guy gets to kind of step into a place where the foundation is already built," said Tioga head coach Zach Birdwell. "The last staff did a great job at that and it's kind of prime ready to take off and that's what we're here to do."

Zach Birdwell steps in to lead the Bulldogs. He takes over for longtime Texoma coach Chad Rogers, who left to take the head coaching job at Sanger.

Tioga is coming off two consecutive playoff appearances and a district championship in 2022, something they'll work to replicate.

"It's a great feeling," said junior wide receiver Slade Babbitt. "I feel like we're going to win it."

Some teams like to take a day-by-day approach, others lay their season goals out before the first practice. For Tioga and coach Birdwell, they knew what they wanted to accomplish very early on.

"It's written on the board up there '11/24'," said Birdwell. "We've got the date set for our Thanksgiving playoff game. That's the goal, that's the vision for us."