An unfamiliar sound echoed through Anzar High’s campus Tuesday.
The cracking of shoulder pads and the scream of coaches and their
whistles were heard for the first time at Anzar, as its football
Hawks took the field for their first padded practice in the
school’s history.
An unfamiliar sound echoed through Anzar High’s campus Tuesday. The cracking of shoulder pads and the scream of coaches and their whistles were heard for the first time at Anzar, as its football Hawks took the field for their first padded practice in the school’s history.
Twenty-five players in new, shiny black helmets ran around the green grass to officially kickoff the first season of 8-on-8 Anzar football. For the team’s few seniors, it was a perfect way to finish their high school life.
“It feels great to be apart of this,” said Daniel Modic, team captain and center. “I feel very grateful to get this opportunity.”
Modic, a senior who towers over his teammates, was one of the few players on the field to wear football pads before – and it showed.
Most of the two-hour practice Tuesday – which was the second practice during the school year but first in pads for the Hawks – was dedicated to simple tackling drills or helping the players line up correctly.
“We are building a foundation – one step at a time,” head coach Luis Espinoza said. “I wanted to let them get used to the equipment.”
Quarterback Jeremy Cedeno, a junior, was open about the improvements that are needed to be made, but he expected his team to get better with every practice.
“We have a lot of work to do,” he said. “But I could see the talent we have. There is a lot of work ahead of us.”
During practice, Cedeno, who was told to look after the footballs, led the offensive skill positions through some options plays. Modic helped his fellow linemen get comfortable in their stances.
Players got comfortable as practice went on.
“Absolutely – you could see them get a little more comfortable,” Espinoza said. “This is what we’ll be doing the next three days.”
Espinoza hopes his team will be able to go against each other by next week, he said. But he isn’t going to push his young team.
“Every day we should get better,” he said.
For the players, it was a joy just to be in pads and on the field representing their school.
Modic, who played freshman football for San Benito High a few years ago, beamed with excitement after practice. The tall center, called it a dream to bookend his high school career with playing football.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be back out here,” he said.
Modic, who is the team captain, takes his responsibility with great care. He knows he is one of the few to have worn pads and hit someone in the past, so it’s his job to get others comfortable and ready for the year.
“They’ll learn it doesn’t hurt to get hit,” he said of his teammates. “It’s my job to help them out whenever they need it.”
Cedeno, who played football since he was six, said it was important to help his teammates at each practice. He wants to always encourage them to do better and eventually the team will be good.
“I’m really excited to see where we can go as a team,” Cedeno said.
Cedeno and Modic finished the first padded practice as cheerleaders Tuesday, helping teammates finish field-length bear crawls.
In only the second official practice, Modic and Cedeno showed their leadership in helping their teammates.
But the team is a long way from being ready for a game.
For now, Espinoza will stick with the basics – at least for the first week – in preparation for the team’s jamboree on Aug. 27 at Pinewood School in Los Altos.
