Poor Mark Stroup. Tracy High football hadn’t even hit the practice field before some people started throwing its coach under the bus.

It appears there are a few malcontents among the Bulldog faithful — but it isn’t the varsity’s 6-14 record over the past two seasons that’s got them irked. At least that’s not the main issue.

No, it appears some Tracy High players — in particular some seniors — aren’t getting “their due” on the field. Not under the lights at Peter B. Kyne Field of course, since “official” workouts are only in their third day, but in the offseason workouts and football camps. They say they’re being forced to play with the sophomores, denied the touches they think they deserve, being shut out because of favoritism and subjected to blacklisting if they speak up.

That’s some heavy stuff, even for a program used to some heavy criticism. Complainants hit a high-water mark in the weeks following last year’s 1-9 campaign, but seemed to ebb during the winter and spring. Now that football’s starting back up again, so, too, are the nagging voices.

Legitimate beefs I doubt it. Everyone in town knows THS football has hit a rough patch, but it’s not like Stroup’s been benching All-Americans in favor of a few preferred players. And every coach will tell you your grade in school and seniority on the team doesn’t mean a thing compared to your performance on the field. If Stroup tried to shake up underperforming upperclassmen by putting them with sophomores, kudos to him for taking a stand. He’s tried everything else short of a contract with BALCO to get some productivity out of the Green and Gold.

The problem isn’t on the field — at least not yet. It’s in living rooms, at kitchen tables and in the stands.

Everyone involved with the team is boiling over with frustration: the players, the parents, the alumni — and the coach, too. No one likes to lose, and when a once-proud program turns into the Arizona Cardinals, the fingers are going to start pointing. People want a scapegoat, and some took the easiest target of all: the man behind the clipboard.

Does Stroup deserve the heat I honestly don’t know. While I’ve seen my fair share of the Tracy Raiders and the Bucs (Cougars, I’ll get to you this year) and caught a few West games, I’ve yet to see coach Stroup in action on the sidelines. It could be that the man is wasting talent. It could be that he’s not getting a fair shot anymore. It could be a vicious combination of both.

Either way, I’ll reserve my judgment until after the season. But I don’t think others in town will be so gracious. The tests are going to come early and often this year — Tracy plays Divison 1 Sac-Joaquin Section finalist West on Sept. 8. Whatever his methods, Stroup has to find a way to inject some pride and swagger back into his team — and fast.