First official day of football practice
Jones, Homewood-Flossmoor grateful in more ways than one on first official day of football practice
A season that was at risk of being canceled and then was delayed by nearly seven months is happening. Even though the season will consist of six games and no postseason, the mood at HomewoodFlossmoor’s practice was one of appreciation.
Homewood-Flossmoor linebacker Malyk Jones looked around for a few seconds, the bright sunshine and nearly 60-degree temperature causing his eyes to squint above his mask.
“This is perfect,” Jones said, shaking his head. “If every Friday is like this, life would be great. Just to be out here is like a dream come true.”
Amid the nightmare the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked on life and high school sports for nearly one year, Jones’ words on Wednesday, the first official day of football practice, were spot on.
A season that was on the verge of being canceled and ultimately was delayed nearly seventh months is happening. Even though the season will consist of six games and no postseason, the mood at H-F’s practice was of appreciation.
The last time H-F offensive lineman Brian Smith stood on this field, it was during the first semester of his junior year — in November 2019.
Now he’s two months from graduating and five months
from enrolling at North Central College.
“It’s been over a year since I’ve been on this field,” Smith said. “It’s great to get this opportunity to play. Just to be out here with my guys before I go to college means so much after everything we’ve gone through. Every once in a while in life you have a roadblock. You have to overcome.”
No one knows that better than H-F coach Craig Buzea.
Life threw an additional challenge at him: avoiding COVID-19 while he had leukemia.
Dressed in a gray hat, black jacket and black pants, Buzea was happy to be back on the field with his team and staff on Wednesday. He’s healthy, and he
acknowledged his perspective has been altered.
“About 16 months ago when I was diagnosed, it was very possible I might not walk on a field again,” he said. “I’m very grateful to be here. If we had started the season back in August, I wouldn’t have been able to coach.
“So having the season pushed back has allowed me to coach this team one last time. I intend to enjoy every moment.”
H-F has 62 players on its roster. Generally, that number is closer to 75.
With the uncertainty of the season, some kids chose to get jobs. Receiver Will Pauling graduated early and enrolled at Cincinnati, leaving a huge hole in the Vikings offense.
Buzea isn’t sweating it. Not after all he’s been through and the challenges everyone has faced during the pandemic.
Besides, the sun is shining, the snow that remains is melting and the football season has arrived.
Buzea is well aware of the mental, physical and social struggles the pandemic has thrust upon his players. He’s going to make sure each and every one of them receives meaningful playing time.
“The guys who are here hung in there through all of this,” Buzea said. “Normally, they would get a shot to play if we were up 40 or down 40. Not this year. They all deserve to play.”
This is Buzea’s final first practice at H-F. This summer he will take over at Crown Point, which is much closer to his Indiana home.
Buzea’s impact on the H-F program is immeasurable. No one person is irreplaceable, but Buzea is close to being so.
Jones, a junior, is sad to see Buzea go and is confident the Vikings will send their coach out on a memorable note.
But Jones was happy just to be back on the field.
“We’re going to do the best we can for Buzz’s last year,” Jones said. “To go 6-0 for him would mean the world to me. But I’m just grateful to be out here.”