A late start to the year and daily rain could curdle the outlook of even the most positive coach around.

Or maybe it can’t.

Merrimack High football coach Kip Jackson has too much work on his agenda to worry about things he can’t control.

And right now, in the first week of the preseason, Jackson is preaching a pertinent

message.

“I don’t think we were physically or mentally tough enough last year,” Jackson said. “Hopefully we’ve done some things to address that.”

And he thinks this group is ready.

“This is our first four-year class,” Jackson said of his tenure. “I think we’ve been able to do some of the things we set out in the beginning, just in terms of having kids that were great in the community, got good grades, and started to have success on the field. But it’s not consistent yet throughout the program.”