Day 4: Herndon Looking to Meet Expectations
Zack Ozyck showed in camp he is the difference-maker for his team. With him under center, the Hornets are in fact a playoff level team...
Photo By: Derek LeComte/Gameday Magazine
HERNDON, VA-- Head coach Joe Sheaffer knows what he's up against in the Concorde. He knows about Westfield, Centreville, Chantilly, Robinson and Oakton. After all, he's been coaching at Herndon for over 20 years, so if anyone needs a refresher on Concorde football, it certainly isn't him.
So how does an expert on the area get around the 'big dogs' in the Concorde? For Sheaffer, it's through mental preparation.
And it works too. When his team was 1-4 at the midway point of last year with its roughest part of the schedule still ahead of them, they came back from the dead to close out the season with a 4-1 record, including wins over Oakton and Robinson. Sheaffer and his entire team pride themselves on the fact that they never quit, and it shows.
So when at camp yesterday, it was no surprise to see Sheaffer put his team through the most intense conditioning session we've seen from any school in the past two years. He knows he faces distinct disadvantages when facing other Concorde schools, but he'll sure as heck try to outwork all of them.
It's all part of their blue-collar mentality that this team takes, and it could very well help them make the playoffs in 2008. They return a bunch of key players from last year, namely in quarterback Zack Ozyck. He's very quiet, but he's clearly the leader for the Hornet's offense. When he wasn't taking snaps, there was a noticeable difference on the field. The impact he brings with his decision making and skill set is extremely underrated, probably more so than any player in the Concorde.
Remember, after he became Herndon's full-time starter, that's when they went on their 4-1 run to close out the season. There's something about him that makes this team tick, and he could in fact be their answer to a playoff run in 2008.
One other noticeable difference with this team was with the offensive line. Sheaffer works with them on an individual basis every single day and it's clear they've emerged as the leaders of this team. They hardly--if at all-- make a mistake, and when they were competing in team offense, everything flowed much more smoothly for Herndon.
In particular, Jake Feldman looked to be the most impressive lineman on the day as his size, coupled with his strength, are what really help him stand out above the pack. Keep in mind that Herndon does play a majority of their line both ways, which is a rarity in Division 6, so many of those same offensive linemen could very well make an impact on the other side of the ball.
And while Herndon does return some great players on their line and at the quarterback position, they still have holes to fill at running back and receiver. Starter Devon Thompson was not at practice today, so we never had a chance to look at what the running game would truly look like. In hearing from the coaching staff, they can't wait to get him out to practice because of just how talented he is.
We were, however, able to look at what Herndon had to work with at receiver. With Nicco Berry last year, they were able to develop a very potent passing attack, but now that he's graduated, there is a hole that needs to be filled.
Looking most impressive was Abidrey Totow. He's very raw as a receiver, but has plenty of athleticism. The more the coaching staff can work with him, then he could really develop into a formidable threat. With Herndon's Wing-T offense, he'll certainly find himself out in open space a lot, which eases the burden for any receiver.
Herndon will get its first real test when they go out to Madison for their first scrimmage of the year. Although Madison's grind-it-out offense contrasts starkly to Park View's spread, which is who they open with, it is a great way to find out how effective Herndon can in fact be.
This is a team, that after the end of last year, expects to be in the playoffs, and as long as they have Ozyck behind center, that should become a reality.
