CROFTON HIGH FALL SPORTS EXCELLED IN INAUGURAL SEASON
Crofton High fall sports teams excelled during inaugural season
“Coming to a new school with new coaches, not knowing what to expect, it can be a difficult transition when you are used to doing things a certain way. Fortunately, they got up to speed quickly, adapted well and it has really been showing.”
— Jason West, Crofton cross country coach
When Crofton High School athletics finally got underway in February, there was so much excitement that the gravitas of the moment did not truly set in.
As they wrapped up their first competitive sports season when the abbreviated fall sports season ended Thursday, athletic director Jeff Martin took a moment to reflect on how well things had gone despite all the adversity they had faced.
“Crofton athletics has had a great fall season,” Martin said. “We have been competitive in all sports but more importantly our teams have gotten better as the season has progressed. This season has really benefited us as our coaches have finally gotten the opportunity to work with their athletes in person for an extended period of time, and the results have been great.
“I have been very impressed with the staff we have in place as well as the leadership they have provided for our athletes.”
There were many challenges facing the Cardinals in addition to the challenges every school in the county faced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
One of those challenges was the fact that there was no precedent for any of the programs as there would have been at established schools. For cheerleading coach Michael Houck, there were benefits to starting from scratch.
“I think it was a blessing in disguise because it gave us an opportunity to hone in on the foundation of the program, rather than thinking about what the games looked like and competition,” he said. “We were able to build our book stress free. Even though we weren’t expected to compete on a state or region level we were able to plan so we could be ahead next year. We took our time so I think we are a little bit ahead for next year.”
Another challenge that the Cardinals teams faced was blending in athletes who had attended and competed at different schools the season before.
Cross country coach Jason West said most of his sophomore runners, who came from well-established programs at South River and Arundel, had to get used “to doing things a little differently.”
“Coming to a new school with new coaches, not knowing what to expect, it can be a difficult transition when you are used to doing things a certain way,” he said. “Fortunately, they got up to speed quickly, adapted well and it has really been showing.”
Also, many established programs rely on veteran leadership to guide their teams through the ups and downs that come with a season. With only freshmen and sophomores on the team, coaches counted on some of the younger athletes to step up.
Amy Strickus, Crofton’s field hockey coach, noted how unusual is it for freshmen and sophomores to “set the standard,” as that job usually falls with a program’s upperclassmen.
But it’s because the younger players stepped into challenging roles that she feels the team had such a successful season and why the future is bright.
“They want to be able to compete with the top schools in the county and are willing to put in the work to get there,” Strickus said. “I’m excited to see how our team grows over the next two years as this group becomes the upperclassman and we add a varsity team in the fall.”
However, despite all these challenges, none was greater than the challenge of adhering to the stringent safety measures in place as a result of the COVID, said girls soccer coach Travis Bonfigli.
“Our No. 1 priority this season has been to ensure player safety and adherence to the state/county requirements with respect to COVID,” he said. “This hasn’t stopped us from focusing on teaching the game of soccer and has just required the re-ordering of our priorities when getting together as a team.”
Despitethesenumerouschallenges, many Cardinals junior varsity teams soared this spring as the volleyball, field hockey and girls soccer teams went undefeated and boys soccer lost only once. The football team went 1-2.
Success, however, can be measured in different ways for different people. For sophomore golfer Mac Arida, the transition from Arundel to Crofton came with added benefit of being able to contribute at the varsity level despite being only a sophomore. She was the fifth seed at Arundel as a freshman, which meant her score often times did not count in the team competition.
Golf, cross country and cheerleading were able to compete at the varsity level.
“My score has counted every match since we only have four players,” Arida said. “It’s just nice contributing to the team more. I really liked the experience this year. I played in the county championship last year but this year I was in Group 1A, so I was paired with the three best people in the county.”
For freshman Taylor Giffords, a right side hitter on the volleyball team, the on-court success was a joy. But the ability to develop camaraderie and interact with her teammates has been the best part of all.
“It’s been really good to get to interact with other people,” she said. “Even though you have to stay six feet apart and there are a lot of rules in place, you are still getting to interact with people and still having fun and it’s closer to normal.”