The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Experienced Columbia savoring gridiron practice
The Columbia football team is off and running, and its players and coaches could not be happier.
“It feels amazing,” senior running back Joe Governale said as he and his teammates endured sweltering practice conditions Aug. 10. “I missed a lot of these guys during that three-month period when we couldn’t do anything. Thinking about the future is always important to me. I love playing football with these guys, I love being out here with them and I love the energy and intensity they bring.”
With rumors swirling about what lies ahead for the upcoming season, Columbia coach Jason Ward is keeping his players focused.
“We have to be ready,” Ward said. “The only way to do that is the only way we know how. You have to do the work in this game to be successful. I love doing the work, my staff loves doing the work and our kids love to go to work. That’s one of the special things about Columbia kids. They are not shy about putting in a good, honest day’s work, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
As the Raiders continue to practice, there are several schools across Northeast Ohio that aren’t practicing, including a pair of schools in Lorain County. Fellow Lorain County League member Oberlin postponed extracurricular activities Aug. 5, while Lorain postponed athletics Aug. 3.
“We owe it to the Lorain’s and to all of those teams that aren’t able to go out and do what they love,” Ward said. “We get to do what we love, so we owe it to them. Who would we be if we went out here and gave a half-hearted effort in practice knowing that there’s kids in the county and Northeast Ohio that would give anything to be in our position?
“There’s kids out there that would give anything to come out here in 90-degree heat today and put a helmet on and catch a few balls. They can’t do it, so we owe it to them to give our best effort on a daily basis.”
The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced a plan last week for a reduced football schedule and expanded playoffs. Ward likes the plan and how schools can benefit from it.
“I give (the OHSAA) a lot of credit. They were getting a lot of heat for not making decisions and not doing anything,” Ward said. “I’m not one to criticize anyone that’s in a decision-making capacity right now because it has to be extremely difficult. I think it’s a good plan.
“Everyone looks at the six-game season, but I think every team in the state that wants to can get to 10 games pretty easily. They can at least play a full slate of games, not to mention everyone getting a chance to make the playoffs and experiencing what it’s like to play a win-or-gohome game. We’re hoping that plan comes to fruition.”
The Raiders split into several groups at practice. The offensive linemen worked on their blocking at the sleds, special teams worked on punt coverage, wide receivers practiced route running and the quarterbacks worked on their agility.
“I love (being out here), because it’s easy to lose hope,” senior defensive lineman Cameron Coleman said. “We all came together, we’re strong and we still think that we’re going to have a season this year. It’s amazing.”
Columbia is coming off of a 4-6 campaign in 2019 that saw them post a losing record for the first time since 2008. Carson Heidecker and Drew Saki were the lone seniors to graduate from last year’s team. The Raiders bring back plenty of experience and are ready to bounce back in 2020.
“I think we’re more ready than we’ve ever been,” Coleman said. “We have that one year under our belts as a team and only losing two seniors. We’re very prepared, and I’m excited to see what we’re doing this year.”
Leadership appears to be an area that won’t be lacking this season for Columbia. During the Raiders’ team captains presentation last week, nine players stated their case to the team on why they should be one of four captains chosen.
“A lot of those guys that ran for captain were part of key spots for us last year,” said Governale. “The guys that ran have been through it all. They’ve been through that 4-6 season, they learned how to keep their minds right and to not get down on yourself. They were always there to motivate us, keep us going, keep us on the right path and try to help us win in every way possible.”
Above anything else his team learns during practice, Ward wants his players to be prepared for what lies ahead.
“We owe it to ourselves, our community and our school to be ready for Week 1,” the coach said. “We have to be ready if it happens.”