Published: August 18, 2008 09:12 pm            

H.S. FOOTBALL: Fall practices begin

Practices opened on Monday throughout Section VI.

LOCKPORT — The only obstacle making solid contact with Lockport High School varsity and junior football players Monday was a formidable one — gravity.

Second-year varsity head coach Greg Bronson welcomed a staggering 58 players to his first official 2008 practice Monday at LHS. Grid hopefuls spent the better part of the day running conditioning drills and working on a variety of basic offensive and defensive schemes under Bronson’s watchful eye.

Player-to-player contact is not allowed to begin until this weekend.

“Fifty eight players trying out for Lockport’s varsity team is the largest I can ever remember,” said Bronson, who has been associated with Lions football since the mid-1970s as both a star player and coach.

“It’s a little bit more difficult to get kids through the repetitions because there’s more of them to work with. By the same token, we’ve also seen a good influx of talent, so more kids also translates into more talent and an opportunity for us to find more quality players.”

Speaking of quality players, among the returning starters tutoring first-year players, Lions senior quarterback Justin Guyton said players came to camp Monday ready to roll.

“I’m pretty well conditioned as are a bunch of our players,” Guyton said.

“I feel fine. We’ve done the weight room and passing league over the summer — mainly we condition ourselves to what our position is. I thought we looked real good as a team out there.”

Bronson said the first week of practice involves a lot of basic drills and discussions related to offensive and defensive tactics.

“The first three days of practice are non-contact, with players wearing just helmets,” Bronson said.

“It’s basically some conditioning and some installation of our offense and defense and getting guys to go through repetitions so that once they’re able to start hitting, they’ve got a better mental focus and grasp of the offensive and defensive schemes.”

Players will don shoulder pads at practice for the first time on Thursday and person-to-person contact won’t begin until Friday, added Bronson, who will be assisted once again on the LHS sidelines by Dave Arlington and Joe Scapelliti. Joining the JV staff is Greg Wilson, who replaces Bronson’s former teammate Miles Patterson, who returns to his middle school alma mater to take over as the new head coach of the North Park modified team. Also joining the LHS staff is Bill Schubring, who will work with the varsity and JV lines.

Other Lockport fall sports coaches hosting their first practices on Monday were Karl Griffin (JV football), Jeff Hulshoff (boys varsity soccer), Mike Finnerty (boys JV soccer), Laura Lichtman (girls varsity soccer), Katie Herdlein (girls JV soccer), Bob Eberhardt (boys and girls cross country), Dave Gilson (golf), John Beatty (girls tennis), Kristen Allen (girls swimming), Chris Niver (boys volleyball) and Liz Pitts (girls volleyball).

Lockport modified football teams will meet for the first time this fall at 8 a.m. on Aug. 28 at their respective schools, either North Park or Emmet Belknap. Girls modified volleyball hopefuls will meet on Sept. 5 at their respective schools.

        

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