Corcoran’s football program also has a native of the city taking over, trying to restore the Cougars to its past glory.

Tyrone Fisher, after just one season as a varsity assistant (he was also a graduate assistant at Syracuse University), is now the man in charge, succeeding Tim Schmidt, who stepped down, but will still coach varsity basketball in the winter.

Corcoran was, for the most part, a winning program and consistent Class AA title contender around the turn of the millennium. But since back-to-back sectional titles in 2002 and ‘03, the Cougars have only reached the semifinal round once, in 2009, and suffered a first-round playoff exit at the hands of eventual champion Baldwinsville a year ago.

Adding to Fisher’s challenge is the fact that 22 seniors graduated, including top rusher Chao Porch, meaning there’s a lot of new faces in the lineup. However, quarterback Shakem Buckmon returns, giving the offense some stability. Fellow senior Charles Byrd will anchor the defense from his linebacker spot.

Aside from the usual weight-training, the Cougars also were helped by participating in SU’s annual camp in June. They, along with Nottingham and several other area teams, had three full days of work at the newly expanded practice facilities next to Manley Field House, which include fields and meeting rooms for video sessions.

Corcoran does not have an easy schedule. It opens against Utica Proctor next Friday, one of just three home games on the 2011 slate, though one of them is the Oct. 7 meeting with city rival Henninger.