Noblesville High School has a winner in strength coach Brian Clarke, whose agenda is all about molding the Millers into winners.

A good place to start might just be in football.

Clarke, in his third year as Strength and Conditioning Coordinator, has a proven record. You can count the championships he’s been involved in on both hands – nine at Warren Central  and one (2003) in basketball at Pike.

His speed and strength training program had a major impact on Warren Central winning boys Class 5A football championships  in 2006 and 2007. The other championships came in girls and boys cross country and track.

Can that happen at Noblesville?

If not, it won’t be because of lack of personal pride and enthusiasm and unity and, of course, talent.  The program is making gains, and the help of a second middle school – scheduled to open for  the 2011-12 school year – will result in more talent and position competition for the program, Clarke contends.

Clarke said the kids are competing at  different  level this year.  For example, he pointed out that during his first year at Noblesville he did not see any big hits in football, but he saw four or five per game last year and he expects to see eight-to-12 more this season.

Clarke said the Miller football players are physically, mentally and emotionally stronger this year, and he thinks the team is among the top five programs in those areas.

“The program has really grown under Lance (head coach Scheib),’’ said Clarke. “We just have not seen wins yet. Lance is a great communicator and he has put together a very good staff, though he’s the only coach at the main campus.  That makes his job even more demanding.‘’

Clarke said there are no excuses for the Millers not to compete and be close in all games.

“What Brian is doing is simply amazing,’’ said Scheib, who like Clarke enters his third season at Noblesville.

This intrepid reporter got a good dose of what the the program is all about in early July at a 6 a.m. workout at Hare Field.

Clarke said that since his arrival at Noblesville, the school-day program has gone from about 80 athletes to 392 athletes.  “In addition, our weekly 6 a.m. speed-athletic development program has approximately 300-350 student-athletes.

He calls it the “Miller Championship Workouts.’’

That’s dedication and determination, folks. How many teenagers do you know are up by 6 a.m., let alone ready mentally and physically . . .  and motivated to excel athletically?

And it’s about more than just football preparation. Athletes from all sports participate, and there are roughly 25 coaches involved in helping to oversee workouts that started in early June and run through mid-July.

“I knew when I came to Noblesville it would be a work in progress,’’ Clarke said, “but it takes hard work to get better and these kids really do work hard. It also takes the support of a school administration to be successful. We have great support here.’’

Clarke says they track everything about kids, that it’s data driven. “We are developing student-athletes. “We need a bigger capacity for our weight room but that will come. “What we have is a great facility but it’s only 1,800 square feet; the majority of Class 5A programs are around 5,000 square feet.

Still, Noblesville’s weight room facilities are state of the art, so is the Noblesville Heath and Wellness Department, all done in Black and Gold school colors, with a giant black “N’’on gold mats in the weight room, similar to a college campus atmosphere.

Just another way to add to motivation and recognition for those student-athletes who have bought in to the program.

The kids chanted “We are together’’ during that Wednesday morning workout. When it was over, they gathered in the middle of the field and jumped and chanted in unity. “I love that . . . I just love that,’’ Clarke said, flashing a big smile.

“The community is very receptive to being the best we can be.’’

So are the student-athletes, especially the football players who are in one of the more high-profile programs at the school.

The Millers will not lack for swagger.

“These kids have more swagger than I saw at Warren Central, and that’s saying something because there was plenty of swagger,’’ said Clarke, who was recruited at Warren Central by three-time state championship coach Kevin Wright, who begins his first season at Carmel.

But is that swagger enough?

On the surface, winning a state championship, especially in football, would seem like a mighty tall order. Certainly in the near future. The Millers are looking for their first winning season since going 7-5 in 2001. Since then, their best record was  5-5 in 2006. The program has 28 wins and 55 losses since 2001, and Scheib, who is 105-80 in 18 seasons as a head coach, a .568 winning percentage, is only 7-14 at Noblesville.

“Football-wise, I’m confident where we can be in a few years or I would not be here,’’ said Clarke, who interned under former Ben Davis coach Dick Dullaghan, who won eight state championships. “I learned a lot in that program . . . that program has facilities better than many small college programs.  I think we will have the facilities we have to have in another year or two.

“Once we all agree (that includes everyone in the school administration) on the mission of this program . . .  watch out!’’

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Brian Clarke At A Glance

Age: 31

Hometown: Northwest side of Chicago

College: Butler

His Position: Head Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for nine years: Pike (2003-05), Warren central (2005-08), Noblesville (2008-present).

Accomplishments: 2007 finalist for National high School Strength Coach of the Year (American football Monthly) . . . No. 1 public High School Athletic Program in USA in 2007 (Sports Illustrated) . . . Trained Pike Mr. Basketball Justin Cage (2003) and first-round NBA draft pick Courtney Lee (2003) . . . and trained Warren central Mr. Football recipients Dexter Taylor (2006) and Darren Evans (2007).

Keys To Noblesville Success: Support from administrators (Superintendent, Principal, Athletic Directors, Guidance Department. P.E. Department Chair . . . Proper Training Facilities . . . Unified training program for all athletes . . . All head coaches must be “on the same page.’’

Goals of Noblesville Strength and Conditioning Program: Enhance athletic performance, prevent injury, improve confidence, develop a championship mentality/attitude.