{span}Warren East’s Trevor Naftel (5) gains some yards Saturday, September 3, 2016, during a game against Daviess County at Warren Central High School.{/span}

Temporarily absent a head coach, Warren East is keeping spring football practice business as usual. Stable facilities for the first time in a few years are helping that process go smoother than expected.

Longtime assistant coach John Brewer has been tasked with leading the Raiders’ football program during a transition period while the search continues for a new head coach. Justin Chaffin resigned from his head coaching position in April after two years.

“He was a great head coach and we were with him the last two years, so losing him is pretty big,” rising senior Greg Barnes said. “We have coach Brewer over here to help guide stuff and without him, we wouldn’t be able to do anything since he took over the position Chaffin would do.”

Warren East opened new facilities in October that include weight rooms, locker rooms, coaches’ offices and meeting rooms for the football team to go along with the new turf field. Those basic needs alone have helped start the process for the 2017 season.

In Chaffin’s first season, the Raiders went 1-9 and improved to 3-8 last year with a first-round exit in the Class 4A playoffs. Warren East lost three games by a touchdown or less. Improvement in the program was visible, so Brewer’s job this spring has been to keep that optimism going as the search for a new head coach continues.

“No one expected it and we try to keep it business as usual,” Brewer said. “Same offense and same defense. Not throwing in any wrinkles. We’re just trying to have fun and enjoy each other’s company during the process.”

The Raiders graduate nine seniors that included two collegiate signees, Chauncey Greer and Patrick Satterfield, the two players who made up for a big chunk of their up-tempo offense. Greer threw for over 2,000 yards and rushed for over 500. Satterfield and rising senior Caleb Huskey each had seven touchdown receptions and over 750 receiving yards.

Greer and Satterfield made up for 57 percent of the Raiders’ scoring.

“They’re two very explosive players and will be greatly missed,” Brewer said. “Any time one of them touched the ball it would be a touchdown. We’ve got a few younger guys that will step up and be great players as they progress.”

Trevor Naftel returns out of the backfield after rushing for 575 yards and six touchdowns as a junior. Naftel, Huskey and Barnes are three of the Raiders’ 17 rising seniors.

So will Dwayne Cook, who is expected to succeed Greer at the quarterback position. Cook was a receiver last year who caught six passes for 64 yards.

Isaiah Boards will anchor the defense as an inside linebacker who led the state in tackles during the regular season and finished with 160.

“They’ve continued to show growth throughout,” Brewer said on the rising senior class. “They’ve got more experience. Last year we improved with some very tight games there … . The seniors have taken this offseason by the horns and stepped up.”