Bishop McLaughlin fields its first football team at the JV level.
By STEVE LEE
Published September 9, 2004
HUDSON - Hurricane Frances cancelled some practices for Bishop McLaughlin, the county's first private school football team. Perhaps fittingly for a team nicknamed the Hurricanes, the season opener was not wiped out by the hurricane.
Bishop McLaughlin's junior varsity squad visits Ocala Trinity Catholic tonight at 6. The game will be played at Jervey Gant Recreation Park because the Celtics' field, which was underwater earlier this week, is not suitable for game conditions.
Frances, downgraded to a tropical storm Sunday when it whirled over central Florida, affected each team's preparations. The Hurricanes and Celtics missed three days of practice because of school cancellations.
"I think the boys are just a little rusty," Bishop McLaughlin coach Jim Ceccarelli said after Wednesday's practice.
Tonight's game, Ceccarelli said, "could be a comedy of errors. Hopefully not. I think the boys are prepared to go. They caught on real quick."
Bishop McLaughlin is the county's 10th football program and the first to open at the JV level since Mitchell in 2000. The Mustangs went 6-2 that season.
For Mitchell coach Scott Schmitz, that marked the second county football program he helped start. With no seniors, he coached River Ridge to an 0-10 record in 1991.
Schmitz said beginning a program at the JV level served as "a confidence builder" adding, "I don't think your (underclassmen playing a varsity schedule) learn anything getting beat 50-0."
With 24 freshmen and sophomores, Ceccarelli and athletic director Mike Zelanka, the Hurricanes' only coaches (some parents have volunteered), did not consider playing at the varsity level. That will wait until 2006.
"I think (a JV schedule) is a great idea," Ceccarelli said "It will help the boys be competitive and learn and not get their spirits crushed. A lot of the boys have never played football, so we're really starting at the beginning. I think they just have to start believing in themselves."
Ceccarelli, who has coached at the high school and college levels and became the Hurricanes coach in August after a four-year hiatus, has installed a split-T offense, which will feature a quarterback, fullback and halfback with five players expected to share time, at least in the opener.
Coleman Hengsbach and Cal Kuenzel are the quarterbacks with Kuenzel expected to play some at running back. The other running backs are Brandon Marks, Michael Adessi, Rob Gallagher and Chris Redfield. Redfield will get a look at split end.
"I think after we play a game or two the kids will settle into a spot," Ceccarelli said. "I just want them to have fun playing and enjoy being out there."
Bishop McLaughlin plays all of its five games this season on the road since money is still being raised for a stadium.
As for the first game, missed practices notwithstanding, Ceccarelli said his team is ready.
"We've done so much repetition the last three weeks," the coach said. "We're prepared. We're ready. I'm not worried."
