Former Bulldog looking to build community excitement
By Kyle LoJacono
When Reggie Roberts was named the Zephyrhills High football coach in January he showed a passion to get the program back to dominating on Friday nights.
“We are looking to bring back the Tom Fisher days of hard-hitting defense and exciting offense,” Roberts said. “We want to bring back the attack so everyone in Zephyrhills is excited about this football team.”
Fisher coached the Bulldogs for 20 years, which included Roberts’ time with the school from 1985 to 1990. Roberts was a linebacker, something that is apparent from how he speaks about the game.
“We want to play a lot of smash-mouth football and make the other team’s offense have to work for every single yard,” Roberts said. “We don’t want to be giving away chunks of yards … Offensively we’re going to throw the ball down the field. Those long passes really demoralize the opposing defense.”
The former Bulldog player is also working to bring a new level of discipline to the Zephyrhills team that finished 2-8 last season. Part of that is starting summer workouts at 6:30 a.m. Roberts said that is to bring some structure to the players.
“That also helps us a lot to get out here and done before it gets too hot,” said junior Adrian Sanchez. “The sun really drains us.”
Sanchez plays both wide receiver and cornerback and is one of the team’s more vocal leaders. Last year he had seven catches while adding 21 tackles, one interception and five passes defensed in the old system.
“Things have been better with the new (system),” Sanchez said. “I’m not the kind of guy to tell stories about that.
“It’s also just how he talks to us because we need him to be forceful with us sometimes,” Sanchez continued. “That’s how we’ll listen. Just talking nicely to me at least doesn’t work. I need someone saying ‘Adrian you need to focus on this and get your mind right.’ That’s how you get our attention to learn and get better.”
The switch in systems came with a new position for Frank “Duke” Morrison, who spent the last few years playing on the line and will see more time at tight end and linebacker in 2010.
“It’s a little bit different to move positions,” Morrison said. “As a tight end you still block and you still do a lot of the same things as a linebacker, so it’s not completely new and I like the challenge.”
As a defensive lineman last year Morrison had 33 tackles and one sack.
Running back Jacolby O’Neal is adjusting to the new system, but for a different reason. He played for Pasco High last year, but has since moved to Zephyrhills.
“I’m already ready to get after Pasco,” O’Neal said. “It’ll be exciting to play against my old team.”
Roberts said O’Neal would be a big part of the Bulldogs rushing attack and will also see time at quarterback and possibly wide receiver. Several players including Jamal Roberts will be used at multiple positions to keep their opponents off balance.
While the Bulldogs players and coaches seem ready for the 2010 season, things did not go as planned in the spring game in May. Zephyrhills took on Pasco and was handed a 56-0 loss, which was stopped at halftime because of bad weather.
“You never want that to happen again and that’s been a self motivator for the team,” Roberts said. “We just had 19 days of practice, but that’s not an excuse. I think it’s the best thing that could have happened to us in the long run. We got a lot of the young players into the game to give them game experience and it’s a lesson learned for the older players.”
To further prepare the team, Roberts got the Bulldogs into the summer 7-on-7 league in Pasco County, something Fisher never did.
“It’s been helping us get used to the new system while competing with another team,” Sanchez said. “You can only do so much in practice against yourself.”
Other new elements under Roberts is a focus on grades and community service. During the spring he required players to attend study hall before players could hit the field and is encouraging them to maintain a 3.0 grade point average. Athletes are only required to maintain a 2.0 to be eligible.
Roberts also requires the players to have 25 community service hours to be eligible under Roberts’ rules.
“We’re working hard to put a team out there the city of Zephyrhills can be proud of,” Roberts said. “We also want to put a bunch of young men out in the community with good qualities who will be positive members of society.”
Sanchez is confident the team has improved from the 2009 season.
“I won’t put a win total on it, but we will be better than last year,” Sanchez said. “I can promise you that.”
