Training camps: What I learned
Assigned to bounce around York County for four days last week in order to get a better understanding of some of this year's most intriguing high school football teams, I would like to think I learned a thing or two about while roaming the sidelines, listening to coaches, interviewing players and watching drills.
I would also like to think you might be interested to hear my observations and analysis from those four days beyond what I wrote in the print edition. Of course, even if you don't they pay me to do it anyway. So, here we go...
The clear favorite to repeat it's Division I title from last year, William Penn did things a little differently at this year's camp. As I wrote in the story, the most significant thing about the change is not that the Bearcats aren't practicing in the morning, it's that coach Matt Ortega "is confident enough in his current players' abilities and commitment to the task at hand to tailor at least a few aspects of training camp to their preferences."
It's part of the reason Ortega has had success at William Penn. He understands his players and can easily relate to them. During practice, he is more of a sympathetic teacher than a drill sergeant. He doesn't feel like he needs to bark at his players to get them going. They are already dedicated and motivated.
The Bearcats looked like a squad that had its act together. Combine that with the immense talent of players like Jordan Davis, Brandon Walker and Malik Generett and it all makes me even more convinced that William Penn will not only win Division I again, it will finish the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record.
At Susquehannock, coach Tom Waranavage has a slightly different coaching style than Ortega, but has had even more success on the gridiron. Like Ortega, Waranavage boasts a style that is a good fit for his players and it led to three consecutive Division II titles in his first three season.
Last year there was a bit of a hiccup and the Warriors missed the playoffs, so Waranavage retooled his training camp to look more like those of successful seasons and is keeping his standards as high as ever for this season.
It means the Warriors were often practicing three times a day for two hours each during training camp and sticking to a strict schedule during the sessions. It's something not unlike you would see at a major Division I-A program's preseason practice. The biggest question is: Do the Warriors have enough talent to return to the top?
From what I saw and what Waranavage has told me, it seems like the performance of returning starting quarterback Patrick Miller and his receivers may determine the fate of the Warriors. Waranavage will be more willing to throw this year, and the 6-foot-4, 210 pound signal caller has the arm to make plays. If the receivers can run precise route and catch the ball, they have a decent shot at getting back to the playoffs.
For Kennard-Dale, a major focus is mastering the option. The Rams' defensive performance will almost certainly play a major role in whether or not they can make a major improvement on last year's 0-6 record in Division II and 2-8 overall.
Of course, it's hard to gauge a team's defensive abilities during an offensive practice. For what it's worth, coach Doug Wilkinson said his "defense is looking pretty good" and he is pleased with his team's "higher football IQ." Will it mean better results for a team that allowed at least 40 points in half of its games last season? The Rams certainly think so.
If the team has anything going for it this season, it's that senior leaders Duncan Leftridge, Jordan Senkbeil and Kyle Hamlet are unapologetically optimistic when they talk about the Rams' chances this season. They have a Division II title in their sights. I'm not convinced that's going to happen, but if the Rams' belief is sincere (which I'm convinced it is) I think it will be a positive for Kennard-Dale.
You could hear the optimism of the Dover football team rising during its scrimmage against Northern York on Friday.
"We're looking pretty good," sophomore tight end/linebacker Josh Firestone said after his team jumped to a 7-0 lead against the perennial Mid-Penn power. "Better than I thought."
Dover needs to be at least "pretty good" this season as it moves up to Division I and there were enough encouraging signs during the scrimmage to fell even better about playing against what he deemed "bigger and faster" schools than the Eagles played in Division II.
Judging from what I saw that night against Northern York, a major determining factor in Dover's Division I success this season will be how many plays their playmakers can make. Running back Vaughn Hebron had several big runs against the Polar Bears, including a 30-yard gain on a sweep when he completely switched direction and ran the other way when the Northern defense broke through the line.
If the skilled Hebron can pull off stuff like that against Division I competition, the Eagles can start thinking about making a trip to the playoffs.
