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Second-year coach Mark Maradei, who led Rockville to a 7-3 record last season, is building a program seemingly from scratch, while the Falcons (3-6), under second-year coach Steve Orsini, are rebuilding a program reeling from the loss of a beloved coach (Larry Hurd, 31-4 from 2003-2005).

Rockville builds

When Maradei took over the Rams football program in the winter of 2006, it was in a shambles. Players weren’t committed, students and the community itself were indifferent toward the team.

But that’s exactly what attracted Maradei, who worked as an assistant coach with Magruder and Watkins Mill from 2000-2005, to Rockville. He wanted his first head-coaching job to be about building a program from scratch, implementing his own ideas and building it the way he wanted it.

In the span of one year Maradei, 41 of Frederick, who prides himself on being more a mentor to his young charges than a mere coach barking orders, turned a 2-8 program into a 7-3 playoff contender in 2006. There’s more excitement at Rockville on Friday nights now, more pride in wearing the Rams’ orange and black.

To constitute building a program though, Maradei will need to back up last year’s success in 2007 and the next few years. Rockville lost to graduation almost all of its offensive production. But he has done a lot of groundwork to that end, trying to ensure that 2006 was not a flash in the pan.

The first alteration Maradei made upon his arrival was turning Rockville football into a year-round sport. He doesn’t discourage his players from playing winter and spring sports, but there are expectations for the weight room and agility work — the Rams were back in the weight room a week after the season ended last fall, working four days a week on strength, speed and agility. Those who weren’t willing to put in that work were weeded out.

‘‘When I came here this was not a committed program,” Maradei said. ‘‘There are three elements in being a successful team. The first, is wanting to play. The second is understanding the demands and the third is being willing to make that commitment to the demands in order to be successful. Football is 365 days of the year.”

Maradei also instilled a sense of belief and team cohesion that hadn’t been part of Rams football in recent years. He’s forged a certain friendship with his student-athletes. Though still an authority figure, Maradei’s earned his players’ trust. And that translates positively on the field.

‘‘We eat lunch together in my room,” Maradei said. ‘‘I go out to dinner with my players. I installed a PlayStation on a television in the locker room and I’ll play that with them. I don’t chase these kids away. They know I’ll be there whenever they need me. They text me, they call me. I was putting my kid on the bus for the first day of kindergarten the other day and I was getting a text from one of my players coming to me with what he needed. And I think that does build more trust on the field.”

Another area Maradei has worked on is the area’s youth football programs and getting consistent community support.

This summer Maradei hosted Rockville’s second-ever youth camp. He brought the weeklong program to Rockville last year. His players work with area youth on football skills and the week ends with a tournament among camp teams and an award ceremony. The intention, other than allowing younger kids to learn the game, is to create awareness for the Rockville program in the community and the camp doubled in size from last year to more than 100 participants in 2007.

Maradei has also struck up a deal with the Rockville Football League, creating a middle-school team from Rockville feeder schools, which serves as a junior Rams team. The young Fighting Rams use Maradei’s playbook, his schemes and follow his practices, in the hopes they’ll be ready for Rockville High football once they’re freshmen.

And to ensure these young players stay interested in Rams football, Maradei invests time in traveling to local middle schools, speaking to young athletes, gearing them up for the excitement of high-school ball.

‘‘I’ve already gone to the middle school 8-10 times,” Maradei said. ‘‘I’m trying to get people who otherwise might be looking to transfer out to Good Counsel or something. ...

‘‘This Fighting Rams team is something they have at all the good football schools, Damascus, Seneca Valley. Now when these kids come out to two-a-days, they’ll know what I’m talking about.”

Maradei seems to have things going in the right direction, but only time will tell.

‘‘Our goal this year is to focus and continue to build on our esteem and go forward,” Maradei said. ‘‘Within the next five years I’d like us to be state champions. And I think we can be.”

Poolesville rebuilding

When a coach as respected as Hurd leaves, sometimes players lose interest in the program. In addition to graduation casualties, Orsini dealt with that fallout as well. But players that have seen what Orsini’s about, have started trickling back into the program and that should benefit Poolesville’s record this season — it went 3-6 last year for its worst season in four years.

Orsini, Watkins Mill’s head coach from 2003-2004, also understands the value of community in a team’s success. Poolesville is a small, football-mad community, and Orsini has used that to the team’s advantage and plans to continue to do so to build even more community support. Orsini and his players have hosted meet-and-greets, and car washes, among other things, to try and get the community involved with the team.

‘‘After the games the coaches and I go to a local pizza place and we have a special room there where we watch the film,” Orsini said. ‘‘And whenever I need to buy something to fix something here for the team, I’d rather get it at one of these locally-owned stores than order it from a big chain. That way people in the community feel like they own part of the team.”

Poolesville High has worked somewhat with the Poolesville Athletic Association — all the players from those PAA teams feed into Falcons football. Orsini plans on becoming even more involved there, similarly to Maradei, in having those coaches use his playbook to prepare the young athletes for Poolesville football terminology.

One huge advantage Orsini has, is Poolesville hosts a magnet program, attracting students from around the county. In order to ensure the team’s future, Orsini has ventured out to various schools in the area, trying to lure athletes into the program.

‘‘Poolesville is like a private school,” Orsini said. ‘‘It doesn’t matter where you come from. So, I’ve been trying to go out and make some of these athletes realize we have just as many sports at Poolesville. Just try to keep growing our program, getting more interest.”