Gunz9 71 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 MONTCALM — Driving feet splashed through driving rain on Tuesday afternoon at Prudich Field, motivated by a new coach driving his football team toward one goal — to be in condition. When a team has 23 players, like the Montcalm Generals, everyone must be ready to play four quarters. Head football coach Justin Gilbert, after his second day of leading two-a-days, has his boys in their bright blue helmets believing in that. “He works us very hard,†said senior co-captain Johnathan Bell. “He wants us to be in shape.†“It’s very high standards,†said junior lineman Michael Hurley. “If it wasn’t for Coach making us do 100-yard sprints, five or six or seven times, half-fields, gassers ... we’d be out of breath by the second quarter.†Fellow lineman Chris Linkous said, “We’re starting fresh. This is our first year of two-a-days. Everything’s new to us. Winning’s going to be new to us, too.†The Generals were 1-9 last season. Gilbert said after practice, “Overnight, you’re not going to (go) from a 1-9 team to a 9-1 team, just by doing nothing. I think these kids realize that they want to win. Nobody enjoys losing. You don’t put all that work in to go out there and lose on Friday nights. “These kids realize, I think, through the first couple of days, that they’re going to do better, and they’re going to be competitive — but they’re going to have to work hard.†Travis Carver, the team’s senior center, said, “I think we’ll have a much better chance to win games this year, since we have new coaches and a lot of new players. It is different, but I think it’s different in a good way.†Tyler Hunter, another co-captain who plays tight end and defensive end, said that “everybody was showing up in the summer and working hard, so it pays off (to get ready for) the heavy running in the heat that the first days of August brings.†Gilbert said, “The first week here is just basically conditioning. ... A lot of those kids are going to have to play almost all the time, and to stay with those teams that have 30 or 40 or 50 kids, they have to be in shape. “They can’t get in that last quarter and just be wiped out. That’s just not an option we have here.†Carver said when he awoke for the first morning of his senior year practice sessions, he “couldn’t believe it. I’ve played since I got in middle school. Just to come out here, and think it’s my last year and I’ve got 10 more games left, it’s a little sad. But it just makes me want to play harder.†Bell said, “This is my last year. I’m going to go out hitting hard. I’m just going to try to have a little fun and have a great time.†He said he was “there†for the freshmen. “You look at it like, you were a freshman once. ... When you’re team captain, you’ve got to help everybody,†he said. Gilbert said his arrival as Montcalm head coach, after a couple of years as an assistant football coach at Pocahontas High School, has been “a welcoming experience.†“With the opportunity comes more responsibility, but it’s something I enjoy. I truly enjoy football. I enjoy all the things about it. I enjoy being with the kids. “And there’s a commitment here, there’s a dedication. A lot of the kids seem very inspired about what they’re doing.†“Small numbers are always going to be an issue, but that doesn’t bother me when the kids are willing to work and to buy into the system that I’m bringing in.†Craig Havens, head coach for several years, remains on board as one of Gilbert’s assistants — a reversal of roles, since Gilbert was an aide to Havens on the Bluefield High basketball coaching staff. Gilbert said, “I enjoyed that experience, and learned a lot. We had talked about this position, and since Pocahontas was closing, it sort of worked out for me — one thing was closing, another was opening up. ... “There’s a lot of different responsibilities coming from an assistant’s role to a head coaching role that I didn’t know about. ... He has made that transition a smooth transition, and I appreciate it.†Gilbert was a student-athlete at Graham High School and coached at Abingdon High School as a student teacher, before working as an assistant coach at Pocahontas High School, which closed in May. He’s seen schools of all sizes. “I would say that the experience at Pocahontas has probably been the most valuable thing for me,†he said. “It isn’t like when I came to Montcalm, I was expecting the first day, I was going to see 45 kids out here. I knew the numbers. “I learned at Pocahontas that, if you sit around waiting for more kids to come out, you’re wasting time. You have to work with the kids you have, and make them better, because those are the kids who are going to be with you throughout the year. “I don’t mind the small numbers, as long as those that you have are willing to work.†Anthony Walker, a junior linebacker-fullback, said, “Coach Havens was a great coach. ... We were very excited showing up, knowing that we had a good coach taking over Coach Havens’ spot. ... We’re hoping for a winning season this year.†Even the rain had its silver lining on Tuesday. Blake Auton, a freshman right tackle, said the downpour was “cooling. It’s fun. It’s relaxing.†Gilbert said, “I don’t mind it. It’s not going to hurt you.†Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi 10 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 Good luck to the generals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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