Half Hollow Hills West 2010 Varsity Football Preview

After a recent practice, Half Hollow Hills West football coach Kyle Madden pointed out to his players a small contingent of media that had descended upon the workout. "You know why all the cameras are here, don't you?" Madden asked. "It's because of what we did last season. Now if we don't work to accomplish our goals, they won't be back. They'll be off covering another team."

That's part of the reality of having a championship team.

In 2009, the Colts ran the table on a 12-0 season—from an opening-day 41-14 blowout of Rocky Point to a 42-32 Long Island Division III championship win over Lawrence some 10 weeks later; Madden's team understands what's expected of them. 

"Our expectations are the same, and that is to win," said quarterback Chris Busuttil, a senior who gets his chance to start after backing up Hansen Award winner JeVahn Cruz last season. "I can't wait to get on the field," Busuttil said. "I  learned so much from watching JeVahn last year, especially what to do when a play breaks down. You have to make something happen." Added Madden, "Chris has been waiting his turn, and he's got a great grasp on the offense."

Senior guard/defensive tackle Michael Quinn—who has played varsity since his freshman year—is confident that Busuttil can step in and win. "Cruz is going to be hard to replace, but Chris is a diamond in the rough and can definitely lead us."

This is Busuttil's third season on varsity, having made the team as a sophomore. In fact, Madden's coaching philosophy incorporates the development of underclassmen. "With my team last year, a lot of the key players were brought up as sophomores.  And sophomores are not brought up unless they are going to play," he said.

Madden's pronounced use of  underclassmen stems, in part, naturally, to the individual player's ability to perform. But Madden, in his 11th season as Colts head coach, recognizes the maturation process that needs to occur with his athletes, a process that gets accelerated by being part of a winning program.

"Being a good football player is a process," Madden said. "What a normal high school student can do inside or outside the classroom might be tolerated. "But athletes are scrutinized. Sophomores tend to forget about the larger goals and worry more about the moment rather than the future. They come along and you see the difference in them as seniors.

"I want the younger guys to want to play in our program. I want them to see the success we've had, the players who have gone on to play in college, and even in the pros, and I want them to want to be a part of this."

One of the underclassmen Madden has watched develop is Devante McFarlane, a junior running back and linebacker who, as a sophomore last year, started on both sides of the ball. He's been on Madden's team since his freshman year. "You can see flashes of greatness in him," Madden said.

McFarlane recalls his approach as a freshman and notices the difference. "When I was a freshman, I could take a play off now and then because there were older players there to pick me up. Now I'm one of those players."

Another player who will be looked upon to play an impact role is sophomore linebacker/tight end Randy Davis, who started the 2009 season on junior varsity but was moved up midway through the year. "At first it was scary, because I was giving up close to 100 pounds on some guys," Davis said. But this season, Davis is confident in both his play and his role. "I need to be more vocal with my teammates," he said.

This season sees the Colts playing in Division II, where Madden notes that his team has been ranked third in preseason polling, behind North Babylon and East Islip. Add to that mix traditional strong teams from Bellport and West Islip, and Madden's squad will have their hands full trying to replicate last season. "Division II has so much tradition," Madden said. "You have coaches who have been in programs for 20 years. Our goal is to be 100 percent focused on playing the game."

But can they earn another Long Island championship? "We definitely can," said senior wide receiver Dan McCord. "All the things that we had last year we still have." Added McFarlane, "We're not worried about [the schedule]. Football is football. It's 11 guys versus 11 guys."

The Colts open their season on September 7, hosting Riverhead.