Penn Manor coach Todd Mealy and his staff have a different approach to coaching high school football.

Way different.

The Comets' brass feels that teaching football comes second to teaching life lessons. Once the life lessons are learned, the coaching staff believes, football becomes easier.

"I think that life lessons become a way to measure a football program," Mealy explained. "I think because we've been coaching that way for four years that our program is where it is.

"Those life lessons have gotten our program to a point, that despite some hardship, we've gotten better, stayed close as a unit, remained consistent and can compete."

So far Mealy's unorthodox philosophy has worked in Millersville.

The Comets are coming off of a 6-5 season that included a third straight trip to the District Three Class AAAA playoffs, and a third consecutive winning season. All of which has never happened at Penn Manor.

"People have a short memory and people in our community think of Penn Manor football as winning and that's what they expect," says Mealy. "That means this program is at a spot where we want it."

The Comets appear to be in a position to maintain the level of play they're accustomed too. They lose five starters on offense and four on defense.

Junior Adam Sahd highlights the list of returning starters on offense. Sahd threw for 1,111 yards in the regular season with eight scores and 12 picks. Returning with Sahd are linemen Ethan Barley, Cody Stryker, Alex Quinn and Trent Crider and receiver Daulton Parmer.

The defense returns Crider, Quinn, Stryker and Errol Hammond up front, Dylan Weber at linebacker and defensive backs Parmer and Mike Bucek.

"As long as we play solid defense we have a chance to win games," Mealy said. "We're fortunate enough that we have these players back on defense. Helps, too, because we'll have young linebackers."

Though the Comets return most of their starters from last season, they're still a young team. With only a dozen seniors on a 44-man roster, Penn Manor's future looks bright.

"I have to admit that we are making some decisions that will help us in a year or two," Mealy said. "Not that we'll sacrifice this year.

"We're trying to be visionary for the future with some of the things we've done in the last eight months. But, once this season starts, we'll focus on that."

And Mealy knows his program's winning ways won't continue without his small, but very important, senior class.

"We like these seniors because they've been with us every step of the way. They're coachable, disciplined and they know what it takes to keep our program at the level where it's come," he said. "They're fortunate enough to have played in three district playoffs and have a winning record in Section One, that prior to their arrival, Penn Manor never had. They've been a part of a lot of winning."