They say it’s always calm before the storm, but for Lake Travis head coach Chad Morris and the Cavalier football program, the calm after is pretty nice. And they’re soaking it up while they can.

A year after opening up his first spring practice with the Cavaliers, amidst the chaos that came when he and his staff arrived, Morris has led another team to a state title, and the feeling this spring is much different.

“I’m just excited that there’s not a lot of pressure to win a game,” Morris laughed. “Just to be able to watch the kids put the offseason work to use. We’ve really improved across the board in strength this offseason, so I’m excited to step back on the field as state champions. That was last year, so what is this year’s group going to do?”

Time helps simplify things, as well.

“I know the kids a lot better now. That’s a big plus, and I’m not having to install the entire offense,” he said. “These kids have a great retention level, so we’re able to work on more drills and details.”

Working on details will be important since a number of players will attemp to fill some major voids left by the outgoing seniors. Morris far from worried, though.

“We lost some great seniors, but the thing I’ve always found is that there’s another group that’s ready to step in,” he said.

Finding the contributors in that group is the most important part of spring football.

“Our spring football is intense. It’s always going to be physical and we want to find the people that want to hit and make plays,” Morris said. “We don’t have to worry about opponents, we can just focus on ourselves. So while practices are an hour and 25 minutes long, it’s an hour and 25 minutes of just us against ourselves. There are a lot of scrimmages and a lot of one-on-one, and it’s very physical.”

The biggest void is the one left at quarterback by the graduation of Garrett Gilbert, but there was a ready made plan for that exit before last spring’s practice. The keys to the Cavalier offense have always been Michael Brewer’s to lose, and so far, he’s made every indication that he’s capable of picking up right where Gilbert left off.

“You look at Mike, and number one, he was like a sponge with his mentor, Garrett. Garrett will be out there with us this Spring, too, so that will help,” Morris said. “He’s learning that he has to be Michael Brewer and no one else. Since the day after we came back from the state championship, he has worked to improve as much as anyone in the weight room, in conditioning and in film. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do, and he’s becoming a leader. It’s going to be a growing process for him, but he’s taken to the role and we’re really proud of him.”

After that, there are a few glaring holes that need attention, but nothing is set in stone.

“Every position is wide open. Now, we obviously have some ideas at each spot, but we want everyone to know that they’re battling for their jobs every day. We did that all the way through the last season, and it helped us in a lot of ways,” Morris said. “Our secondary is battling for sure, there’s a lot of spots open there. Replacing Chris Aydam and Cade McCrary is really tough. We have two offensive lineman spots to fill, so there are a lot of spots open, and we’re going to push the kids everyday.”

But it’s the unexpected that makes these practices extra special for the staff.

“We always find a surprise, too. There’s always going to be someone that is the surprise of spring football that will contribute more than we thought,” Morris said. “We’ve got ideas on who that could be, but that’s what spring football is for – finding those surprises that come in and help make your team.”

The improvement and leadership of players like Andy Erickson, Ian Kelso, Quinton Crow and Will Hawk has been key, as well. Their work in the offseason has made Morris all the more optimistic about the upcoming season.

“Teams without leadership don’t last long, and I think those guys give us that,” he said. “I always say we’re going to go in the direction of our seniors. The direction they want to go is the direction we go. You can have a lot of talent, and I don’t care who you are, if you don’t have great senior leadership, you’re not going to get anywhere.”

They’ll start heading in whatever direction that is on Monday, when the first whistle blows at 4 p.m.