AUBURN - The setting was familiar for several local teams: handfuls of high schoolers running, throwing, catching and pushing on the field where they'll be spending most of their Friday nights this fall.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Members of the Auburn High School football team's offensive line run drills during the first practice of the season Monday afternoon at the practice field behind Holland Stadium.
Members of the Auburn High School football team's offensive line run drills during the first practice of the season Monday afternoon at the practice field behind Holland Stadium.
High school football season has officially started.
In Auburn and Skaneateles, the day simply marked the culmination of a busy offseason. Despite graduating key players, the residual feeling of hope and excitement surrounded both teams.
“It feels like we've never left,” Auburn head coach Dave Moskov said. “We've been so busy in the spring and summer with all the camps that we ran that getting back out there is nothing really new, it feels like we've been out there all along.”
In a tough Section III, B West, Skaneateles head coach John King knows the road ahead will be tough as usual.
“Every year the goal is to qualify for sectionals,” King said. “We haven't been there since 2001, but we're going to keep moving forward. That's our goal, but I'm very optimistic.”
No longer a Skaneateles division rival, Jordan-Elbridge began its season as a Section III, Class C West contender, with Cato-Meridian and Port Byron. As is the case with most of the area teams this year, the numbers are slightly down, which will undoubtedly affect depth at some positions. The good news is that lack of depth isn't new for either coach at Auburn and Skaneateles.
“We're down from about 35 to 36 last year to about 29 this year,” King said. “But we've got a lot of athletes who are three-sport kids. We have a lot of hockey players, lacrosse players and even a few that play baseball, so they've all been busy.”
“We had a little spike last year,” Moskov said of his group of about 40 players on the first day. “Two years ago, we had about 32 kids on varsity and last year we had in the 40s, so typically, we have about 30 or so kids and that's about where we are this year. Depth is always an issue, as our district continues to slowly shrink.”
While Auburn, in particular, isn't an entirely new team, their trio of captains are. Graduated are standout athletes Nick Lepak, who will be playing for Syracuse this season, and Matt Hoey.
Leading the way this season will be Ismail Brooks, Matt Wild and Mike Miskell, each of whom made their own impact on the 2007 season. Wild and Brooks will be competing for the kicking duties that Hoey dominated the last few seasons.
“There's no real formula to (the captain selection process),” Moskov said. “It's not necessarily about juniors and seniors. They are guys that we felt would be good leaders and all three of them fit the bill for us.”
Even so, it was still quite a jarring realization for Moskov to be without Lepak and Hoey for the first time in several years.
“I looked around today and it was like, 'Where'd they go', Moskov said. ”I was leaving my house this morning and Matt Hoey lives across the street and he was outside walking his dog. He was looking kind of down and I was looking at him from my house and I was feeling kind of down, too. Nick though, is getting quite a workout of his own in Syracuse, but it's always tough coming back that first day. Thinking about it is always worse, though.“
For the Lakers, it will be a quartet of newcomers as captains.
“We picked Drake Hill, Ryan Cashin, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Forgham,” King said. “They're all first-year captains that for the most part, did a great job during the offseason. They participated in our winter clinics, passing camps, we run a lineman camp over the summer and they are being received very well by their teammates.”
Like all eight local teams, Auburn and Skaneateles' 2007 seasons ended on disappointing notes.
The Lakers concluded with a 5-4 record, missing the playoffs by one win. The Maroons chance to defend their Class AA state title run ended after losing to Liverpool in the first game of the postseason. Even with a sea of new faces, both teams are hungry for the chance to begin their 2008 campaigns on a high note.
Auburn, who has no returning starting players from their 2006 title team, is beginning with a clean slate for the first time since that dream season. But with all the time and effort that the Maroons have put in over the offseason, they seem more like a team that has played together for years.
“I can't remember doing more in an offseason than we did this year,” Moskov said. “Especially with the NFL camp, which provided us the chance to work with other equipment and other schools - stuff that we haven't been able to do in the past.”
Despite having one of the smallest teams in Section III, Class AA, the Maroons think they have an advantage no matter who they play.
“We have more kids playing both ways and kids having to learn multiple positions,” Moskov said. “But we use it as a matter of pride. We say you show up however you want to, we've come to play and be competitive no matter what. If they think of it in the right way, it can energize you. The other teams that come in with fancier stuff, our kids can say we don't need any of that - we have each other.”
In Auburn and Skaneateles, the day simply marked the culmination of a busy offseason. Despite graduating key players, the residual feeling of hope and excitement surrounded both teams.
“It feels like we've never left,” Auburn head coach Dave Moskov said. “We've been so busy in the spring and summer with all the camps that we ran that getting back out there is nothing really new, it feels like we've been out there all along.”
In a tough Section III, B West, Skaneateles head coach John King knows the road ahead will be tough as usual.
“Every year the goal is to qualify for sectionals,” King said. “We haven't been there since 2001, but we're going to keep moving forward. That's our goal, but I'm very optimistic.”
No longer a Skaneateles division rival, Jordan-Elbridge began its season as a Section III, Class C West contender, with Cato-Meridian and Port Byron. As is the case with most of the area teams this year, the numbers are slightly down, which will undoubtedly affect depth at some positions. The good news is that lack of depth isn't new for either coach at Auburn and Skaneateles.
“We're down from about 35 to 36 last year to about 29 this year,” King said. “But we've got a lot of athletes who are three-sport kids. We have a lot of hockey players, lacrosse players and even a few that play baseball, so they've all been busy.”
“We had a little spike last year,” Moskov said of his group of about 40 players on the first day. “Two years ago, we had about 32 kids on varsity and last year we had in the 40s, so typically, we have about 30 or so kids and that's about where we are this year. Depth is always an issue, as our district continues to slowly shrink.”
While Auburn, in particular, isn't an entirely new team, their trio of captains are. Graduated are standout athletes Nick Lepak, who will be playing for Syracuse this season, and Matt Hoey.
Leading the way this season will be Ismail Brooks, Matt Wild and Mike Miskell, each of whom made their own impact on the 2007 season. Wild and Brooks will be competing for the kicking duties that Hoey dominated the last few seasons.
“There's no real formula to (the captain selection process),” Moskov said. “It's not necessarily about juniors and seniors. They are guys that we felt would be good leaders and all three of them fit the bill for us.”
Even so, it was still quite a jarring realization for Moskov to be without Lepak and Hoey for the first time in several years.
“I looked around today and it was like, 'Where'd they go', Moskov said. ”I was leaving my house this morning and Matt Hoey lives across the street and he was outside walking his dog. He was looking kind of down and I was looking at him from my house and I was feeling kind of down, too. Nick though, is getting quite a workout of his own in Syracuse, but it's always tough coming back that first day. Thinking about it is always worse, though.“
For the Lakers, it will be a quartet of newcomers as captains.
“We picked Drake Hill, Ryan Cashin, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Forgham,” King said. “They're all first-year captains that for the most part, did a great job during the offseason. They participated in our winter clinics, passing camps, we run a lineman camp over the summer and they are being received very well by their teammates.”
Like all eight local teams, Auburn and Skaneateles' 2007 seasons ended on disappointing notes.
The Lakers concluded with a 5-4 record, missing the playoffs by one win. The Maroons chance to defend their Class AA state title run ended after losing to Liverpool in the first game of the postseason. Even with a sea of new faces, both teams are hungry for the chance to begin their 2008 campaigns on a high note.
Auburn, who has no returning starting players from their 2006 title team, is beginning with a clean slate for the first time since that dream season. But with all the time and effort that the Maroons have put in over the offseason, they seem more like a team that has played together for years.
“I can't remember doing more in an offseason than we did this year,” Moskov said. “Especially with the NFL camp, which provided us the chance to work with other equipment and other schools - stuff that we haven't been able to do in the past.”
Despite having one of the smallest teams in Section III, Class AA, the Maroons think they have an advantage no matter who they play.
“We have more kids playing both ways and kids having to learn multiple positions,” Moskov said. “But we use it as a matter of pride. We say you show up however you want to, we've come to play and be competitive no matter what. If they think of it in the right way, it can energize you. The other teams that come in with fancier stuff, our kids can say we don't need any of that - we have each other.”
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