Schools
Pope John Paul II Kicks Off Their Football Season
JPII had a scrimmage against the Notre Dame Crusaders.
Pope John Paul II High School kicked off its football season Saturday with a scrimmage against the Notre Dame Crusaders.
Hoping for a better season this year is head coach Mike Santillo.
"It was a tough season last year," Santillo said. "We were one and nine, and only had a total of eight seniors on the team last year."
This year, JPII has approximately 15 seniors, and the outlook for their team is better.
"The kids got a lot of playing time from last year and we were able to implement new things this year," said Santillo. "The kids are working out well and the numbers are decent, not great."
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In a football scrimmage, the score isn't usually kept, although both teams still can score points. The main point is to get the teams used to their plays. Each team runs 10 offensive and 10 defensive plays while all the coaches are able to stand on the field. By standing on the field, the coaches get the opportunity to watch how their team is running their plays, and chance things, if necessary, afterwards. The coaches also get the chance to watch and learn the other teams plays.
The JPII football team has been working very hard at practice, and coming from a tough year last year, that isn't necessarily an easy thing to do.
"Everybody is working well together, and the leadership is going really well right now. One year does wonders for you," Santillo said. "We are really looking forward to the season."
