Team Pictures on Friday 11/5/10

Our team photos will taken in the PHHS Stadium on Friday 11/5/10 at 1:30. We will be wearing our white jerseys for the photos. I will send the order forms from Sharon Cooley Photography home with the players after practice on Monday 10/1/10.

A team portrait is included as a part of each player's spirit pack. If you wish to order individual photos or more team photos, those prices will be on the order form. To track each player, order forms must be filled out and turned in regardless of ordering individual shots or not.

Scripps Ranch Falcons 37 Patriots 14

Quicksand... that is the best way to describe our game yesterday. We walked into quicksand and the more we struggled, the deeper we got. We tried to do more than we needed and we kept sinking deeper and deeper until we buried ourselves.

Quicksand, is where we were as the Patriots lost to the Falcons of Scripps Ranch 37 - 14.

Mental mistakes were too many to list. Suffice it to say we all know we are better than the product we put on the field yesterday. But through all the dark clouds, there was some silver lining that came out of the game.

I saw our players develop into men and leaders. Several times on the sideline yesterday, I saw team Captains Charlie Martinez and Aaron Ping huddle their perspective units and rally them to stay positive, focused and do the job they were capable of doing. Even back-up LB Colton Barr kept going up and down the sideline passing words of encouragement and maintaining a positive outlook on things.

You can't put a price tag on leadership. You can yell and scream all you want. But to get people to follow you is hard to do. If you can lead people to do things for you because they want to do it for you, because they care for you, because they respect you, then you are a leader. We need more leaders in the world and our players are on the right track.

Our Alma Mater

Back in the day, back when I wore leather helmets in 1979, the Spirit of 76 Patrick Henry Marching Band would always play the Alma Mater after every game. Win or lose. (We didn't lose much) The Alma Mater is our anthem to our school.

All the players and the Cheerleaders would assemble in front of the band and sing the Alma Mater along with the band, all the while, pointing our index fingers to the sky to signify we were #1. Fans, students, parents, players and cheerleaders would sing along. It was a unifying moment for all and has always been the tradition of Patriot football.

Here I am 31 years later and we have gotten away from that tradition. A tradition of being unified as a team, student body and as a school. The Alma Mater after every game was a badge of pride in our school and I feel we need to re-introduce that sense of pride to Patrick Henry High School.

For the last week, I have been working with the Freshman Team to sing the Alma Mater. From this point on, win or lose, as long as I am the Head Coach of the Freshmen team at Patrick Henry, we will always sing the Alma Mater in front of our crowd before we do our victory jumping jacks.

I have attached the words to our Alma Mater:

PATRICK HENRY PATRIOTS HIGH SCHOOL
ALMA MATER
On our city’s eastern border
midst the hills and the sky
home of our most valiant Patriots
Patrick Henry High.
In our many halls of learning
on our fields of play
goals of excellence and honor
always lead the way.
As we march along together
let’s be brave and bold
all hail to Patrick Henry High School
hail to the green and gold.

The 5th Quarter

Freshman football is a developmental program built to teach players how to play football. It is rare to put 2nd string players in during a tight game. The only way to learn football is to play in game type situations.

After the Mira Mesa game, their coach approached me and asked if we could go with a 5th Quarter. I said yes.

The 5th Quarter is an opportunity for the 2nd string players to get some playing time against the opposing teams 2nd string players. It is a controlled scrimmage with coaches in the huddles and monitoring the play on the field. It is a non timed quarter and it is used as a teaching tool for our less experienced players.

On defense, Edgar Delgado, Sylvestre Berdeja, Ben Cooper and Jake Batson were highlight players for the Patriots as Nick Soarse, Jeremy Naughton and Tyler Holmes stood out on offense.

Mira Mesa Mauraders 19 Patriots 14

Talk about a roller coaster of a game. The ebb and flow, going back and forth as two teams that were evenly matched took the field yesterday. Unfortunately for our Patriots, we lost to the Marauders 19 to 14.

The game started with a bang as Markise Bryant took the opening kickoff 87 yards for a TD. Defense was on the field for the majority of the first half and they worked hard to keep us in the game.

Adjustments were made at the half and the Blackshirt Defense was dominant the second half. Offensively, we switched to our passing game as we went to a no huddle mode moving the ball down the field for another TD with under 5 minutes left in the game.

Strategy dictates to kick the ball off deep and play defense using all your timeouts. Our defense stepped up and stopped the Marauders forcing them to punt. Unfortunately, we fumbled the punt away.

You can't win at any level if you turn the ball over 6 times. Four fumbles, including one that would come back to haunt us at the Marauder 2 yard line. Two interceptions, one coming with 44 seconds in the game, sealed the fate of the mighty Patriots.

After the game, I saw a lot of sad faces. Players were upset and they should be. They knew we were better than we showed out on the field and it left a bitter taste in their mouth.

I am proud of our players. To see them be emotionally upset after that game means that they care. They weren't indifferent about losing. It hurt and they care. They never quit and they did the only thing that I required of them: COMPETE!!

I want to thank the fans for all your support. You were all loud and supportive during the game and the players appreciated it.

Next week, we will re-group and prepare for the Falcons of Scripps Ranch HS.

St. Augustine Saints 9 Patriots 21

After a week of good preparation, the Patriots were as ready as they could be as they opened with their first Eastern League game against the visiting Saints. We preach to our players that the Eastern League is the toughest league in the County and that we need to work hard to come out as victors in any League contest. Our players stepped up to that challenge as the Patriots beat the Saints 21 - 9.

The offense started out with a game opening, time consuming drive ending with David Hensley catching a Morgan Hatch pass.

On the following drive, Marcos Gonzales scored on another long run as the Patriots went up 14-0. But the unsung hero on that play, along with the O-line, was the crushing block by by team captain Colton Ledford. Colton's block on the Saints LB was with such force, it sounded like a cannon had gone off on the field.

Defense was outstanding. The 'Blackshirts' gave up one TD against the Saints, which is only the second TD they have given up for the season, going all the way back to the Pt. Loma game. The defensive highlight was turned in by DT Frankie Bernard as he sniffed out a pass in the flat, stuck his left hand up and caught the ball (one handed) and ran away from the Saints as he returned the ball 70 yards for a TD. It was quite an athletic play.

I told the players they fought hard and that I was very proud of them. I wanted them to enjoy the win, their 1st win in the Eastern League. It is special and they will remember it for a long time.

Next week we play Mira Mesa, the cream of the crop. We have a big game coming up against the Marauders at home next week and we have to be at the top of our game to come out ahead. Next week will give everybody a good idea of where we stand as a football team.

Grades Coming Soon

The first scholastic progress report is coming out in a week and a half. The minimum GPA to play in CIF Sports is a 2.0 academic grade and a 2.0 citizenship grade with no more than one F on the report card.

I sent out status reports with all the players on Thursday after the game. The players were to take them to all their teachers to give me an idea where they stand as far as their grades are concerned.

13 players are currently on the bubble or are currently ineligible. I will be talking to each and every one of those players and see if there is anymore work they can do to raise their grades.

On a side note, I will not go to teachers and have them change grades for our student athletes. I will support teachers and players in getting tutoring and seeing their teachers to get extra help during practice.

Make no mistake about it... If a player comes back as ineligible at the end of the grading period, I will cut them from the team. Period, the end. We try to teach our players to be men and act accordingly. It is their responsibility to fix what needs to be done.

Our priorities in life are: Faith in God, Family, School and then Football. If you can't take care of the first three, then you can't play football.

Mar Vista Mariners 14 Patriots 28

How many of you were sitting on pins and needles yesterday? After taking a 21-0 lead halfway into the 3rd quarter, we began to substitute players on both sides of the ball. Two fumbles and two touchdowns later, we found momentum to be on the Mariner sideline.

We put the 1st stringers back in and put the game on their shoulders.

1:36 left in the game. The Mariners were trailing by 7 and drove all the way down to our 8 yardline. We practice situational football all the time and the Mariners faced 4th and goal on the 8 yardline. The Mariners rolled out to pass the ball and the Patriot defense did what they were supposed to do: KNOCK THE BALL DOWN!

The Patriots took possession needed to run the clock out. Instead, the O-line busted a huge hole and Marcos Gonzalez ran the ball 92 yards for the game ending TD. Gonzalez ended the day 3 TD's and 154 yards rushing.

QB Morgan Hatch ran a two minute drill before the end of the half. Though we did not score on that drive, it was good to see the offense work like a team. Hatch showed poise behind good pass protection, he called excellent audibles, threw good pass and Arron Graves and Cano Espinoza made clutch catches and stopped the clock by getting out of bounds. Again, we practice situational football and our players executed the plan.

Our Blackshirt Defense was phenomenal. In the four games we have played, they gave up one TD, and that was the 1st drive of the first game against Pt. Loma. They are very smart and aggressive and they play well as a unit. LB's Nick Sullivan, Arron Ping and Zack Brown are the heart and soul of the defense.

Now it is time to prepare for the Eastern League. I tell our players this all the time: The Eastern League is the toughest league in the County of San Diego.

The next 5 games are going to be tough. All 5 football programs went to the playoffs last year and we have a lot of work ahead of us.

Building Men for Others: Being Oblivious

I sat in the stands during the last JV game against Westhills. As I was eating my hotdog and visiting with family and friends, I heard this young female student use profanity like it was going out of style. Every other word out of her mouth was "F-that, B-that, S-that".

Nobody said anything to her as she kept on cussing up a storm around her friends. Finally, I turned around and yelled at her saying, "Hey! Nice mouth! Do you kiss you mom and dad with that mouth?"

Needless to say, she was embarrassed to the point of tears. Really? Is there a need to cuss like a sailor?

During the Varsity game later that night, the PHHS band played the National Anthem at the beginning of the game. As everybody stood at attention during the Star Spangled Banner, one of my Freshmen players began to hug, chase and grab at another female student.

I love my Country. The playing of the Star Spangled Banner means a lot to me and I give it all the respect it deserves. I think of all the war veterans that have given their lives to protect our freedom and for all those currently serving in the military in the war against terror around the world. I am proud to be an American.

Needless to say, I was stewing as I watched my player and this female student play 'grab-ass' during the National Anthem. Afterwards, I went to my player and sternly spoke to him about the image he projected and the lack of respect he showed. Again, he said he didn't know he was disrespectful. Really?

It is common place in today's society to be focused on yourself and what you are doing while not having a care about anybody else in the world. Building men for others involves thinking of others and how people think of you.

I spoke to our players and asked them, "What kind of image do you want others to have of you?" Don't be oblivious and start thinking of others. I told the players they are an extension of me, the school and their parents. Act in a manner that would make us all proud.

Building Men for Others: Living in a Fish Bowl

Being a police officer gives me a unique perspective on society. Being in uniform as I go out in public, I feel everybody staring at me not because of the kind of person I am. But for merely being in a police uniform.

It has taken a while, but I am used to the looks and the stares as people interact with me in the public. I had a Captain tell me once, "I want you to act as if a CNN crew was with you and your mother saw the video back at her house. Don't embarrass me and don't embarrass the Department."

I have taken that advice and never have forgotten it. Image is perception.

On game days, I allow our players to wear their game jerseys to school. It gives everybody on campus a look of who is on the team and it gives our players a chance to show the kind of men we are building here at Patrick Henry.

Until yesterday...

I received a phone call from Coach Martinez that two of my players were in a fight during lunch. It was compounded by the fact there were several other players that surrounded the two players and agitated the problem by creating a mob scene.

It turns out that the two players had a verbal dispute, a female student made threats that if they didn't stop, the players would get kicked off the team... High School drama. The two players went to mediation and I spoke to them. That has been dealt with. But the mob scene created by the rest of my players left a black eye on what we are trying to do.

I spoke to the players during 6th Period and I expressed by disappointment. I spoke to the team about how they were an extension of me. How when they wear the green and gold and they represent me, the staff, the school, the admin, their families and the alumni. And the image of all the players gathering around the verbal dispute left a negative image of what I am trying to do: Building Men for Others.

There is a lesson here. In real life, all it takes is a few bad apples to ruin it for everybody. So, I made a command decision that there will be no more wearing jerseys on game day until our team can earn my trust again. Everybody will be required to wear a pants, shirt and tie on game days. Show me you can act like a man then I will let you wear the jerseys again.

I know young people will make mistakes. That is why I love working with them be it in the schools as a police officer or as a coach and mentor at PHHS.

We all live in a fish bowl and everybody is looking. What do you want people to see in you?

Westhills Game Postponed

In the 17 years of coaching high school football, I have learned there are to things that cancel football games: Poor air quality (from the wildfires of 2003 and 2007) and lightning.

There was a cell that settled over the east county yesterday and it never let up. All of the games in the Grossmont Union High School District were cancelled yesterday. It was the right call.

The players, coaches and I were very disappointed in the fact we couldn't play. The Wolfpack are 3-0 and were going to be a good test to see where we were as a football team. We had a great week of preparation and we were all looking forward to the game.

But the safety of our student/athletes is priority #1.

Westhills HS is looking to reschedule the game and I am all for it. It will take some planning and there is a possibility we might have to play on a Saturday. As soon as I hear from them, I will notify everybody on the Blog and call players and parents to get it organized.