Winning is an attitude. A collective attitude. It’s 90 kids who believe. It’s a coaching staff that can sell a belief to the players. And it’s a city that bleeds the school’s colors.

“I think one of our strengths,” Belfast football coach Butch Arthers says, “is getting the kids to believe.”

And they certainly believe in Belfast. The Lions have been to the Class B state championship game four of the last five years, winning twice.

And the Belfast folks who were unable to travel to those state games didn’t miss a moment of the action while grocery shopping at the local supermarket. The radio broadcast of the games was piped throughout the store.

“That’s something, isn’t it,” Arthers says. “There’s a feeling in the community and the school that we’re going to be successful and that’s good.”

Numbers are the proof of success. In the eight years prior to Arthers arriving on the scene, Belfast teams won a not so grand total of 17 games while losing 50 times. In his eight years on the scene the Lions are 57-30.

“It takes time. I think we were 2-7 and 4-5 our first couple of years. It had gotten to the point where the kids didn’t believe in themselves. You can’t blame any [previous] coach. It’s an attitude the kids and the town have,” Arthers said.

Arthers spent a number of years as an assistant to head coach Rod Wotten at Marshwood High School in Eliot while the Hawks where in the process of winning seven state championships in three different classes over nine years.

“I find a lot of similarities between what went on there and what is going on here,” Arthers said. “I learned a lot from Rod Wotten. I learned that you have to realize that kids have lives away from football. You need to emphasize that the kids have other things to do. You need to emphasize that they play other sports and enjoy life.”

Arthers also said much of Belfast’s success can be found in the program’s assistant coaches. The entire staff has been together since Arthers became head coach. The defensive coordinator is Hal Halliday, who was the Lions’ head coach for 11 years.

“His coaching experience just proves to be so valuable. I tend to kinda get carried away during games and he’ll tug at my jacket and tell me not to get carried away,” Arthers said.

Butch Richards is the offensive coordinator.

“He could be a head coach anywhere in the state. Butch marvels me with what he sees out there,” Arthers said.

As usual, the Lions had a big turnout for the this year’s team, with 74 players, including freshmen, currently going through practices. And the Lions are again being mentioned by LTC coaches as the team to beat.

“It’s nice when people look at you that way but we have a lot of work to do,” Arthers said. “We’ll look to improve as the season goes on. If we can just get better every week then anything can happen in the playoffs.”

Belfast Lions

1999 results: 9-3, defeated Kennebunk 29-16 to win Class B state championship

Head coach: Butch Arthers, 9th season

Key players: Ben Morley, QB-LB, Sr.; Reid Woodbury, G, Sr.; Daryl Leach, OL-DT, Sr.; Sam Hayes, E-LB, Sr.; Chris Duval, E, Jr.; Jeff Woodbury, DT, Sr.; Kevin Gray, CB, Jr.; Colby Horne, S, Jr., Jeff Parenteau, RB, Soph.

Outlook: Arthers begins this year, like most years, looking to replace a 1,000-yard rusher. Kevin Gray and Jeff Parenteau are the candidates. Parenteau has the genes. His brother, Tim, picked up more than 1,000 yards in the Lions’ 1996 state championship season. Morley returns at quarterback where he was the co-quarterback of the conference a year ago. Arthers said the Lions faced too many eight-man defensive fronts last year want to throw the ball more often this season. With an open playoff format, early losses do not bother Arthers who looks at them as building blocks towards the playoffs. When the playoffs roll around the Lions are usually ready to make a run. This year should be no different.