The ever infamous two-a-day practices are underway at South County Secondary and Stallion football players are knee-deep in preparation for the upcoming season. This year however, a new head coach will roam the sidelines on Friday nights. Gerry Pannoni replaced Pete Bendorf late last month, who until that time had been the school’s first and only coach.
Despite his late summer hire, Pannoni has already made strides in winning over South County players. They are excited to see what their new coach has to offer.
“Everybody has jumped on Coach Pannoni’s boat. We’re really looking forward to the season and think that a lot of great things are going to come with it,” said Stallion linebacker and Virginia Tech commit, Devin Vandyke.
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“I think we’re going to have a really good season.”
For nearly a week, rookie and veteran players have poured hours of sweat into the grueling, two-a-day practice sessions, which concluded Thursday. Weary teens arrive at the school just after sunrise for 7 a.m. film and weight lifting sessions. Next, players make the brief stroll from the weight room to the practice fields for an 8 a.m. start. For two hours, players attired in jerseys, shorts and helmets, practice hard.
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After a much needed hour break, during which Pannoni implores players to “hydrate, hydrate and hydrate,” it’s back to the practice fields where players participate in another two-hour session. This time in full pads.
For some players, Pannoni’s fast-paced, high intensity practices have taken some getting used to.
“At first I was a little worried, but practice has picked up and we’re all into it. Coach just has that drive. It might just be his raspy voice yelling at us,” joked Andrew Rector, who plays quarterback, running back and safety.
Practices under Pannoni consist of 17 seven-minute periods where players work on fundamentals and acclimating themselves with the new flex offense.
“They have to get used to the way I do practice. It’s a little bit different. It’s up-tempo and on the clock, so there’s a lot of adjusting going on right now,” said Pannoni. Even with the new intense practice format, players remained upbeat and excited to be out there. “Effort has never been an issue. We’ve actually had to gear them down a little bit.”
The Stallions suffered a bit of adversity last week when starting quarterback, Jake Josephs, injured his hand during routine drills. Shortly after losing Josephs, Shane Foley, who started several games at quarterback last season, also went down with a hip pointer. The status of both players’ return is uncertain. Pannoni will turn to Rector or Nick Hicks to fill the void.
Despite the losses at quarterback, the 2011 Stallions are loaded with veteran talent, which will be provided by the team’s 35 seniors. A running back by committee, led by Rector (when not playing QB), Ryan Taylor and Marcus Thomas, will help take the pressure off whichever quarterback Pannoni decides to turn to, should Josephs or Foley not be ready.
Nine starters return from last year’s defense. Vandyke will lead the defense and be assisted by fellow linebacker Timmy Hunt and defensive lineman Jeremy Haynes. Rector will also see playing time on defense at safety. In all, the Stallions have a tremendous amount of depth and versatility among players.
“We’re very talented and athletic. We’re big on the offensive line and on the defensive line, we’re very quick,” said Pannoni.
“I think everything is in place, but it’s a matter of executing and getting the job done.”
While the outcome of the season remains unknown, what is known is the amount of support from players, school officials and parents, which have undoubtedly made Pannoni’s transition smooth.
“The kids have worked hard, the school and administration have been really supportive so everything’s good on those fronts,” said Pannoni.
South County hosts a scrimmage against Chantilly High School at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 19. Despite the coaching change and injuries, the 2011 season picture is becoming clearer. South County’s seniors will make one final run at the district crown.
“It was a little hectic this off-season with the coaching change, but Coach Pannoni has been great. Last year we were 4-6 and I want to leave South County with a [district championship] banner,” said Haynes.
“That’s definitely our goal.”
