The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
High school teams kick off practices
“Just feeling the grass, the air, breathing the nice air, getting a good sweat going.” Lorain’s Justin Sturgill, on the best parts of Day 1 of football practice
Lorain may still be riding the high of a historic 2016 season, but after waiting all offseason to get back on the field, the Titans — more specifically, the Class of 2018 — are hungrier than ever.
Some teams might be slow to get back in the swing of things as football practices officially began July 31, but not Lorain.
The Titans ran onto the practice field with as much enthusiasm and excitement as if it were Week 1.
“It’s been nice because in the first couple years we go into Game 1 sometimes and we’re a little bit behind, but we feel like kids have put in the right amount of time this summer and there’s been genuine excitement,” Coach Dave McFarland said.
For Justin Sturgill, the feeling of being back on the field with his teammates is unlike any other.
The senior quarterback had to pause to appreciate the moment of starting his senior campaign with a class that went 10-0 its freshman season.
“Just feeling the grass, the air, breathing the nice air, getting a good sweat going,” Sturgill said when asked the best part about practices starting. “I’m playing with all my brothers out here because we’re just family here. There’s nothing like it.”
In years past, McFarland and his staff would have to track down players who didn’t feel the need to show up for offseason workouts. But this summer, the tables have turned as the coaches have fielded calls from players hoping to spend some extra time in the weight room.
“They’re begging us to open it up. We’re not calling them,” McFarland said.
Reshaun Rogers, a senior offensive lineman for the Titans, had a different view from his teammate, saying about two-a-days: “We’ve been doing a lot of lifting. We’ve been bonding. We’ve been doing a whole bunch of drills. This is nothing new. It’s basically just another day.”
But Sturgill added: “You see so many guys out here, and you’re just awed by what we can possibly do. I see all these players we’ve been playing with for a long time and seeing how far they’ve come. It’s just amazing. I’m so excited. My friend might say it’s another day, but to me, it’s a beautiful day.”
And if there’s a doubt in anyone’s mind whether the Titans are ready to roll, McFarland wants it squashed right away. When asked if he fears a slow start to twoa-days, the third-year coach simply said: “No. They’re ready. They’re ready.”
Lorain hosts Midview Aug. 25. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Clearview seniors ready to lead
Last season didn’t exactly go how the Clearview football team would’ve wanted. But after a 4-6 finish in 2016, the Clippers aren’t hanging their heads. They’re starting off 2017 with a winning mindset.
“We didn’t have that great of a season (last year) ... so we all want to come back and be as best as we can be,” senior Jordan DeAlmeida said.
Coach Mike Collier was encouraged by the energy brought to practice despite scorching weather to kick off two-a-days July 31 and is excited by the attitude he sees in his upperclassmen who are just happy to be back on the field with their teammates.
“There’s definitely a great atmosphere right now,” Collier said. “Obviously the first day of football for everyone is exciting, (but) we’re really excited about this group we have coming back and excited about things that we’ll get going this year.”
As Collier praised the offseason work his Clippers team put in, DeAlmeida and fellow senior Anthony Terry both expressed how important it was to develop a strong work ethic before the season officially began.
The seniors not only wanted to get bigger and stronger while improving their own technique, but to show the underclassmen what it will take to be successful this season.
“We stayed in the weight room and just kept working with each other — pushing ourselves to be better,” Terry said.
“It’s like monkey see, monkey do,” DeAlmeida added. “If I go 100 percent, I hope a freshman is going to see that and go 100 percent, too . ... A bunch of us went to the beach and got work (in) and I feel like that brought us together, too, like getting better together, not separately. Isolation isn’t good in a football team.
“We took some of the younger guys and made sure there were older guys there who would try to tell them, ‘Don’t wait till sophomore year to get your head right. Do it right now.’ We’re just making sure they know what they’re doing and not taking it for granted.”
Now, in setting the expectations for the rest of two-a-days, Collier, an 11thyear coach, is preaching two things: effort and attitude.
“They give us their best effort and best attitude, and we’ll give them everything we’ve got to coach them up. Those are the two things we look for. We can correct everything else.”
Clearview opens its season at Amherst on Aug. 25. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Bay eager to start practice
Mark Olson and R.J. Sunahara may not have been practicing with the team July 31, but the seniors were as excited as anyone to be back on the field, even if that meant watching from the sidelines.
“There’s definitely an excitement,” Olson said. “It’s nice to see all these guys out here. A lot of people are working hard, and it’s definitely a lot different than past years, so I’m excited and you can see that in everyone else, too.”
Olson, a fullback and linebacker for the Rockets, and Sunahara (WR/FS) had to sit out the first official day of practices because they hadn’t gotten physicals yet, but the pair showed up in the early hours of the morning ready to get the season started, something Coach Ron Rutt said he’s pleasantly surprised to see on a day — or week, even — that tests the commitment of his players.
“I think kids are excited,” Rutt said. “It’s a new year, and we’ve had a good summer and a great offseason. I think there’s a lot of guys that are kind of geared up and ready to go. Just even talking with some of the guys in the last week or so, they just seemed really excited for today.”
In fact, a handful of players even beat Rutt to the high school before the sun had barely started to rise.
“I got here at 6 (a.m.) to get in the office and open doors and stuff and there were four guys waiting in the parking lot already when I got here,” Rutt said. “They seem excited and ready to roll.”
“Everyone’s been working really hard in the offseason just preparing for today,” Sunahara added.
As the first day of practice winds down and the week of practice progresses, Rutt said the focus is now keeping the players in shape and getting back in the football mindset before the fight for positions begins.
“I just want the kids to be excited, working hard, enjoying what they’re doing,” Rutt said. “I don’t want kids to get too caught up in necessarily position battles this week before there are even pads on or anything like that. I just want them to get in shape, improve their techniques and kind of prepare themselves for the chance to maybe win a position rather than thinking they’re going to come out here today and become the starting running back because they had a good practice.”
Bay opens its season at home Aug. 25 vs. Keystone. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.