ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - It’s been seven years since the Franklin Wildcats have been in the playoffs, and head coach Joseph McCray is looking to break that playoff drought. 

McCray spent five seasons at Sacramento Charter, with the last three seasons as the head coach, then was the assistant head coach at Natomas before arriving at Franklin High School. 

Since his arrival, the Wildcats have an overall record of 3-17 in two seasons, but the talented team that he has will look to turn things around, McCray said.

Team Strengths: The Wildcats are “extremely football smart,” talented, have skill, young, disciplined and hungry, McCray said. 

“It was a complete rebuild of the program and trying to change the culture and the mindset, so now it’s seeing the guys that you’ve been working with for the last couple years showing some of the things, mindset-wise and culture-wise, that you’re looking for,” McCray said. 

That culture that is being preached is a winning mentality, having an elite mindset, being competitive playing with a chip on their shoulder, and being academically smart and football smart, McCray said. 

Team Unknowns: As far as the unknowns for the Wildcats, McCray said they don’t have a lot of depth. 

“We’re not super deep, so we’ll see how we hold up,” McCray said. “We’re not tested in pads as far as that goes; like I said, we’ve got a young group, so they’re relatively untested.” 

Despite that, players on this roster were able to make a lot of noise over the offseason but still are untested with helmets on, McCray said. 

Overall Outlook: The Wildcats are looking to win this season, McCray said. 

“I think my mindset is the same as everybody else: just win, right? So we’re looking to try to put a product on the field, looking to compete every week and try to win some football,” McCray said. 

With the wins will come the turnaround for this program that’s won three games in the past two seasons. 

“They want to turn the program around, like I said; it’s a different mindset, it’s a different culture that we’re playing with, so I see it every day in practice and in everything that we’re doing,” McCray said. 

Schedule: Even with the addition of new teams to the Delta League, McCray said he keeps the same mindset with every team, whether it’s Jesuit, Monterey Trail, Laguna or Davis, McCray said. 

“They’re all good programs, they’re all building, they all got good coaches. To me, it doesn’t matter who it is, we’re trying to put the same product out, keep the same mindset and come out and compete every week,” McCray said. 

The Wildcats will travel to take on the Johnson Warriors for their first preseason game on Aug. 23. 

*=Delta Conference game

8/23 @ Johnson

8/30 vs. McClatchy

9/6 @ Bear Creek

9/13 vs. Davis Sr. 

9/20 @ Elk Grove* 

9/27 @ Laguna Creek* 

10/4 vs. Sheldon* 

10/11 vs. Pleasant Grove* 

10/18 @ Monterey Trail*

11/1 vs Cosumnes Oaks*