Media Day Impressions: Part 4
(See Carl's Part 3 blog entry about Stone Bridge, Dominion and Valley.)
We all know about Broad Run -- athletes all over the field, bulk of skill positions return from a perfect regular season in 2007. We also all know about Park View -- the traditional power of eastern Loudoun, loses a lot of talent but always seems to gain just as much every season. They'll be there when we write about this stuff in November.
But if listening to the coaches at Gamedays' Media Day at Joe's Pizzaria in Sterling July 29 taught us -- by which I mean "me" -- anything, it's that this year's Dulles District football figures to be a tightly contested race, because there are playmakers and game-changers to be found at each of the eight schools.
Two schools that can be expected to challenge the Spartans and Patriots are Potomac Falls and Briar Woods.
The Falcons of Briar Woods come off a 7-3 regular season and a play-off berth, remarkable in just the school's second season of varsity play -- especially remarkable in that they figure to be at least as good in 2008 with 18 starters coming back.
The big loss is Alex Munro, an athletic quarterback who took his star to Campbell University of whatever Division I-AA is now called. Primary targets Tim King and Devin Barber have also donned the cap and gown.
But back is a group of offensive linemen (with the exception of All-Dulles first-teamer John Maghamez) which has been together for four seasons, going back to the school's inaugural year of 2005 when it fielded junior varsity only. The only coach Briar Woods has known, Charlie Pierce, terms his big uglies "the most important part of the offense this year."
That line will have to protect Austin Frattali, who has toiled as the JV's QB the past two years. Frattali will be throwing to Jeremy Gray, the Falcons' top returning receiver with 40 catches during his junior year. Fellow senior receivers Jeff Simmons and Brett Lefebvre will also be in the mix, but could be pushed by rising juniors, according to Pierce.
Briar Woods' experience along the line holds true on the defensive side as well, as DE Austin DeMoss and DTs Jamie Caldwell and Michael Girolami are back.
But Pierce is concerned about holes in his secondary, as it seems several positions there are up for grabs. Gray and Bryan Mahoney figure to be safeties, but the coach admits to going with "cornerback by committee."
Interestingly to this fellow Hokie, another fellow Hokie will be working with Falcon kickers this year. Jared Develli, who used to boom touchbacks at Tech as though he were kicking on the Moon, reunites with Pierce (his coach from his Park View days) to teach the Briar Woods legmen a thing or three.
"I feel good about what we're gonna do," Pierce said at the Media Day. "I think the ability is there."
The ability is there for the Panthers of Potomac Falls too. Even though they won only four games in 2007 -- one by forfeiture -- they lost several games close that coach Scott Woodlief thinks could be different in 2008 with increased stamina and a sprinkling of big plays.
"This is our turning year," Woodlief told reporters.
Coming back are quarterback Greg Woodlief, wide-outs Chad McMichael, Tarrell Owens and Chirs Pelto, and backs Michael Baker and Leo Pittman, protected by three returning o-linemen. In total, 32 lettermen will be on the Panthers' roster.
Defensively, David Zedan is a speed-rush threat off the edge, and Matt Kaeser and Ricky Lovelace are loads at the tackle spot. Linebacker Alex Rice headlines a backfield with numerous veterans.
Coach Woodlief pinpointed the exact timeframe of the game in which he'd like to see his kids catch more of a second wind: between the seventh minute of the third quarter and the fourth minute of the fourth.
"Those minutes we need to overcome by finding some depth," Woodlief stated.
What depth Woodlief is able to find during preseason practice will immediately be tested with a series of games versus high-powered West Virginia schools: Martinsburg, Hedgesville and Jefferson County.
"I'm not gonna drop 'em. I wanna play those teams. They're good teams, and they challenge us and make us better."
Whether Potomac Falls heeds the challenge and makes themselves better is an intriguing question which may take two months and 10 games to answer.