Since Jason Strunk arrived at Plant City in early July, one thing the Raiders’ new football coach wanted to see was his players put some hard work in the weight room.

Well, Strunk got exactly what he wanted, as evidenced by the Raiders’ recent “Max-Out Day,” the team’s culminating event of summer workouts that took place last Friday.

Strunk said Tuesday that “85 percent of the players made a significant gain” in three areas of weight training – the bench press, squat and dead lift – that were recorded since summer workouts began.

Strunk set up different levels of accomplishment for players to strive for, and the levels were based on combined weight totals of the three exercises.

The two most impressive Raiders were defensive standouts Duran Lowe and Denzel Drone, who each reached the Platinum level, which is reserved for players who have a combined 1,200-pound total in the three exercises. Strunk said Lowe “actually was on his own level” after the rising senior finished with a team-best 1,305-pound mark.

The Raiders also had nine players in the Gold level, reserved for players with a combined total of 1,000 pounds. Among them were quarterback Clint Stearns, linebacker Travis Vollick and offensive lineman Eddie Rosenbaum.

Strunk gave the Raiders this week off so they could “recharge their batteries” before football practice officially begins statewide on Monday.