rallying together
Late afternoon flag football games weren’t part of the plan.
They’re for gym classes, college fraternity leagues, or friendly weekend gatherings in the park.
For the past three weeks, though, they’ve been the highlight of practice sessions for Collegiate’s varsity football team, a welcome addition to the regimen of conditioning, skill development, and offensive and defensive run-throughs.
No, flag football games definitely weren’t part of the Cougars’ plan this fall. Not by a long shot. Not when they had dreams of competing for championships. Certainly not for seniors who had paid their dues and looked forward to shining in their last trip around.
Thanks to COVID-19 restrictions, that’s all they have, and while they’re hardly the real thing, Coach Mark Palyo’s guys are making the most of each moment and celebrating what they’ll no doubt remember years from now as a strange three months made much better by the positive team bonding experience.
“We’re definitely disappointed we can’t play our last season, but we’re using this as a learning opportunity,” said Noah Kiczales, a senior captain who was projected as a safety and kick returner. “Flag football gives the guys a chance to be competitive, so it’s great to be out there.”
When pre-season workouts began August 17 at the Robins Campus, Palyo and his staff spaced players at 10-foot intervals to comply with the physical distancing mandate. At that time, there was hope, albeit faint, that the situation would evolve to permit at least some semblance of interscholastic play with pads and helmets, honest-to-goodness contact, and maybe even a title at stake. That day never came, of course, but circumstances did change enough to allow the introduction of the fast-paced, no-contact rec-league staple although with face masks in place.
The five captains – Kiczales, fellow seniors John Ballowe, Hunter Milligan, and Jack Stepanian, and junior Owen Fallon – selected nine-player teams through a draft.
Ever since, they’ve played five-on-five contests that last 13 minutes each. All nine team members participate in each game on a field measuring 53.3-by-35 yards with seven-yard end zones. The regular season ends tomorrow. The post season begins Wednesday. Thursday is Senior Day when the festivities and games will be streamed. The Super Bowl is Friday, hardly a substitute for the November 7 homecoming game with St. Christopher’s and, best case scenario, two weeks of VISAA playoffs. That said, the action has been spirited with quite a bit of good-natured give-and-take among teammates.
“In my past three years playing (varsity) football, we came in on Monday and learned what we’d be doing Friday or Saturday,” said Ballowe, an inside linebacker who’s committed to Dartmouth. “You go through the week of game-planning for a specific team. This has been like our pre-season but extended for 12 weeks. We’d have as close to our normal practice as possible without touching anyone. We’d be wearing gloves so we wouldn’t touch the ball. It definitely got a little redundant, but flag football games have been much more fun.”
While the coaching staff has directed workouts using some of its tried-and-true drills as well as creative accommodations to enhance morale, the captains have taken it upon themselves to keep the spirits high.
“It definitely starts with us,” said Milligan, a defensive back who’s verbally committed to the Naval Academy. “We have to set the tone. If we don’t bring the energy, the team doesn’t bring it. We’ve really tried to keep everyone uplifted and happy. Practice isn’t just time to play sports. It’s time to see people you don’t usually see during the day. We don’t have lunch (in the cafeteria) or classes with each other. We aren’t able to talk that much, so practice is a great opportunity to be with your best friends.”
Early on, league and state governing bodies deemed cross country and tennis low risk, and competition, although with modifications, began in early October. Competition in moderate-risk sports – volleyball, soccer, and field hockey – began later in October, also with modifications. Football is considered high risk. Early on, the writing was on the wall.
“It was a challenge keeping everybody focused for an hour-and-a-half,” said Stepanian, who projected as a linebacker. “The biggest thing the older guys have done is emphasize that this is a growing year. What the younger guys learn will help them so much in the long run.
“Once we got flag football going, we’ve rallied together because that’s as close to games as we can get. Knowing that you’re part of a team – something bigger than yourself – is really helpful. I’m proud of the Collegiate football family for how we’ve adapted to overcome a challenging situation.”
