Presenting: the preseason. Pasco

By IZZY GOULD, Times Staff Writer
Published August 17, 2007

Every day leading up to football season, we'll drop by each school in Hernando and Pasco counties and take a look at an area team's preparations for the fall. Log on to the Times' high school sports blog at blogs.tampabay.com/preps for daily updates and audio reports on North Suncoast sports. Online today, listen to Times staff writers Izzy Gould and David Murphy discuss Hernando and Pasco prospects for the 2007 season at blogs.tampabay.com/preps.

The setting: The practice field that sits below the school and in front of W. F. Edwards Stadium.

The date: Wednesday

The time: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The weather: Another muggy, sunny, sticky, sweaty afternoon that wreaked havoc with the temperature on the dashboard - 96 degrees at last check.

The atmosphere: Relaxed and confident. The Pirates traded in their old torn and tattered practice uniforms (check out our spring video on Pasco). They handed in their black helmets and scrounged up enough green to cash in on some fresh new practice uniforms. We're talking vibrant red pants, crisp white jerseys and sharp black numbers. Pasco even went a little old school, sporting shiny red helmets reminiscent of the ones worn by the 1992 state champions.

The routine: Special teams, particularly punting, was the scene. Another regimented practice - props to all the coaches for being organized - moved from special teams to pass skeleton drills. We got a good look at the spread offense and saw Josh Johnson line up in various positions, including quarterback, running back and receiver (this isn't a big secret). Pirates assistant Ricky Giles led the linemen through line drills.

Preseason star: We pressed and pressed, but coach Tom McHugh couldn't bring himself to point out any individual. But he named junior Jamall Haynes, a running back who has impressed in the weight room. Pirates junior Jamaal Sampson was another kid you couldn't get off the weights. "I couldn't pick a specific person or a group," McHugh said. "It wouldn't be fair for me to do that."

Preseason surprise: McHugh said a pair of defensive ends, Zach Faza and Japhus Pope, have caught him off guard. They're quick aggressive ends who listen. "Defensive end is probably the toughest position to play from my perspective, because you're never right no matter what you do. You could have done something better," McHugh said. "So far, they've been tremendous. Whatever I tell them to do, they do."

Dreaded drill: McHugh took a drill called the Snake from Wesley Chapel and added about 100 yards of the steepest hill on campus. The Snake is a running drill that has players run up the hill to a fence, then down the hill, move 5 yards and do it again. "We call it the Hill Snake," McHugh said. "It's not a punishment. It's a matter of course, because I want these guys to be in shape. We should be ready to go, at least conditioning wise. We're lucky we have this."

Three things we thought

1. Great to see the coach. McHugh has split time between practice and tending to his youngest daughter, who faces a long recovery following an Aug. 5 car crash. McHugh spends a lot of time - and many nights - by her side in the hospital. He fits practice into his schedule, though it's obvious no one would bat an eyelash if he were to devote every moment to his daughter. McHugh seemed particularly upbeat, though he sounded understandably tired. Just seeing him conduct practice with his typical intensity was inspiring.

2. Wow, there are a ton of guys out for football. Pasco athletic director Jim Ward said the total number of athletes out for football is a school record. Okay, we're sure it's more than athletes than any time in recent memory, but we doubt there are any tangible records to prove this is an all-time record. Still, the influx of athletes is noticeable, as is the obedient huddles and silence on the sideline. McHugh clearly has this group's attention.

3. Things are looking up. Hanging out at Pasco practices the past few seasons was a chore. The lack of discipline, the apathetic attitudes and the waste of talent was concerning. A new booster club, a new coaching staff, the return of John Edwards to do radio play-by-play and promising young athletes dedicated to learning and improving shows Pasco is on the rise and the community is coming back. Should be a full house when Pasco hosts Land O'Lakes on Aug. 31.

[Last modified August 17, 2007, 00:23:32]