Being Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving everybody. This is a time for enjoying family, food and football. But more important, it is a time to reflect and give thanks for all we have.

I am thankful for my family, friends, for my job, for the roof over my head and for my health. But I look back at the last year, I think of Darren Shanks and his family. Darren's battle against cancer, a community coming together and supporting him and his family during some very dark times and his giving back through the Make a Wish Foundation with new uniforms for our beloved Patriots.

Back in October, I had the privilege to help out with the Make a Wish Foundation and their video for the National Fundraising Campaign. I have attached the Youtube link for you all to see the video. It is very powerful and I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVeVS6rcun8

2010 Freshman Banquet

The Freshman Patriots remembered their season with our end of the year banquet at Patrick Henry High School last Wednesday. Family and friends came together to join in the celebration of the football season and more important, the player's journey into manhood.

Hunter's Steakhouse provided an outstanding meal with salad, garlic potatoes, BBQ chicken and tri tip stake. The players served up dessert later in the evening.

A slide show of our players was depicted in the "Patriot Football: A Day in the Life" was shown as players, family and friends came in.

After dinner, the team was shown the 2010 Highlight Film of the Freshmen Patriots. The players 'Oohed' and 'Awwed' at some of the players as they recalled the success of the season.

I spoke briefly about our 'Building Men for Others' as I introduced the coaches and the players. I recapped the lessons we have taught our young men throughout the entire season and asked them to keep building on the foundation we have set for their future.

We spoke about being student athletes and that out of 170 football players, we lost only 5 players to grades in the entire football program.

Players were given team photos, programs and certificates. (I will get the letters out to players on Wednesday 12/1/10)

We recognized Darren Shanks and his contributions along with the Make a Wish Foundation and the new uniforms. We played the Greg Bledsoe's 7/39 news story on Darren and our Freshman Team.

Alex Shrestha and Chris Filardi were the Academic Award winners with 4.0 GPA's.

Coach Terry Naughton painted two portraits for our Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. These awards were voted on by the players and they could not have chosen two players that best exemplify being players of the year. Frankie Bernard was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year and Colton Ledford was voted Offensive Player of the Year.

After all the presentations, I presented Coach Valaile a portrait that Coach Naughton made as a going away gift. Coach Valaile will focus his life in raising a family with his wife Reyna and his daughter Faith.

All the players signed the border of the portrait and it was a real nice and classy going away gift from all of us on the team.

As we ended the night's festivities, there were lots of hugs, exchange of thanks and lots of 'I love you' spread through out the room. These are very good men and you parents should be proud of the way you raise them.

I want to take time the thank the Booster Club, Lisa Cantor, Rich Owen, Janet Dabbert and Jill Pankow for putting on fine banquet last Wednesday night. I want to thank Ann Batson for putting on the "Day in the Life of a Patriot Football Player" slide show.

My job is done... I hope I have lived up to the expectations that I promised you parents back in June. It has been an honor and a privilege not only to coach your sons, but to help them on their way into being men.

2010 Freshman Coaching Staff

At the banquet, I recognize our coaches so that all the parents, family and friends of our players can put a name and a face together with a bio on each of our coaches. Here are the Freshmen Football Coaches for the 2010 Patrick Henry Patriots.



Andy Armenta, Assistant Head Coach, DB's and Special Teams

Coach Armenta graduated from Calexico HS in Calexico Ca. in 1980. He played football and was a WR and DB while at Calexico. Coach Armenta was selected Southern Section All CIF in 1979 as a WR. After graduating from Calexico HS, he went on to play football at Imperial Valley JC. He earned a scholarship to Hastings University in Nebraska where he was named as an All State WR. After graduating from Hastings, Coach Armenta returned home and began coaching at his Alma mater, Calexico HS. He became Calexico's Varsity Head Football in 1986 to 1988. He then became the Varsity Head Football Coach at Universidad CETYS High School Football Team from 1988 to 1990. This is his 2nd year coaching at Patrick Henry.

Fred Bushardt, Offensive Line

Coach Bushardt graduated from Chula Vista HS in 1967. He is an alumni from San Diego State University and began his career in television at KGTV in the early 70's. He went onto work as the News Director at KRON in San Francisco and he recently retired and came home to San Diego. Coach Bushardt has 2 years of coaching Pop Warner football and spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons working as the endzone cameraman and quality control at Hilltop HS with Coach Martinez and I on the Varsity. 'Uncle Fred' is also my brother-in-law. This is Coach Bushardt's 2nd year with Patrick Henry and is pencilled in to being the JV O-Line coach next year.

Ron Francis, Operations Coach

Ron Francis is a parent volunteer that helps me with all the minutia and paperwork that is involved in being a Head Coach of a football team. Showing up and just coach is the furthest thing from the truth in coaching high school sports. Coach Francis prowls the sidelines and is my morale compass for the team. He is my first Operations Coach and I know next year, not only will I need another Operations Coach, but that filling his shoes will be hard to do, both literally and figuratively speaking.

Paul Hubka, Offensive Coordinator and QB's

Paul Hubka is a graduate for St. Augustine High School's class of 1977. He lettered in football, baseball, track and in basketball while attending Saints. He attended Mesa, Grossmont Colleges and moved onto SDSU. Coach Hubka is also Officer Hubka and currently works Eastern Division of the San Diego Police Department. (which covers San Carlos, Del Cerro and Allied Gardens) He started coaching football at Sacred Heart Academy at the Head Coach of the 8th grade flag football team. In 2008 and 2009, Coach Hubka made the jump into high school football and became the QB, Special Teams and kicking coach at El Capitan HS in Lakeside. This is Coach Hubka's first year at Patrick Henry.

Terry Naughton, RB's

I have know Terry Naughton for many years, going back to playing with his brother, Danny back in 1978 for the Patriots. Coach Naughton graduated from Patrick Henry's class of 1977. He lettered in football and in wrestling while at PHHS. He is an artist and has worked for Disney and Pixar for years now. Coach Naughton has coached wrestling and is our strength and conditioning coach. He has coaching ties to Alvarado Football and has previously coached at the freshmen level here at Patrick Henry.


Ronnie Trujillo, Defensive Line

Coach Ronnie Trujillo is a graduate from Midway Baptist HS in the Southbay. He received All League Honors as an Offensive and Defensive Lineman at Midway Baptist, which is now Oceanview Academy. He works as a youth advisor for his church and heard about the 'Building Men for Others' program here at Patrick Henry. He became intrigued and wanted to coach football. This is his first year coaching football and he will be moving up to the JV as the JV D-line coach next year.

Nick Valaile, Defensive Coordinator and LB's

Coach Nick Valaile graduated from Clairemont HS in 1983. He played OG on the 1981 San Diego Section CIF Championship Team as the Chieftans beat the Lincoln Hornets San Diego Stadium (Before it was Jack Murphy Stadium and before it was the 'Q') Coach Valaile went onto play 2 years at San Diego City College before joining the San Diego Police Department. (Coach Valaile and I have been partners on the SDPD for a total of 8 years). Coach Valaile began coaching football in 2002 as the Varsity and JV offensive line coach at The Bishop's School in La Jolla Ca. In 2003 and 2004, Coach Valaile became the JV Defensive Coordinator at Bishop's. This is Coach Valaile's 2nd and last year coaching football at Patrick Henry. He will be taking time to raise his daughter Faith along with his wife Reyna. I will miss my close friend, confidant and brother and I wish him all the best.


Johnny Zelender, Defensive Line

Coach Zelender is a friend to Varsity LB Coach Damon Schaeffer. Coach Zelender had been coaching at the YMCA in Mission Valley and expressed an interest in coaching high school football to Coach Schaeffer. The Freshmen program is an enrty level job and it was a good spring board for 'Coach Z' to get started. His emotions and enthusiasm is un-matched on the sidelines on game day. Coach Zelender works at Phil's BBQ in Pt. Loma.

Patriots 13 Hilltop Lancers 6

The Patriots took two bus loads of players to Hilltop HS to finish out the season with a 13 - 6 victory over the Lancers.

To say the game was a defensive battle would be an understatement. Both defenses were dominant and both defenses controlled the game. There was a lot of big hits and really good tackling. Both linebacker squads dominated the game.

The Lancers took the opening drive down for a TD. The Patriots blocked the PAT giving the Lancers a 6 - 0 lead. LB Trey Johnson #48 intercepted a Lancer pass 40 yards for a TD giving the Patriots a slim 7 - 6 lead.

The game went back and forth with no scoring until the 4th quarter. The Patriots had a hard time picking up the blitzing Lancers. So we made a change... We switched to our 'Rhino' or our goal line offense. The change worked and offensive line consisting of Aaron Ping, DJ Samuels, Armando Martinez, Josh Prater, Mohamed Ali, Charlie Martinez and Zack Brown, along with FB's Frankie Bernard, Nick Sullivan and Colton Ledford took control of the game. They were able to open holes for Marcos Gonzalez all the while, eating up valuable time off the clock.

Gonzalez scored on a 5 yard run giving the Patriots some breathing room. The defense closed out the game with a tackle and strip of the ball by Zack Brown. As the refs were looking in the pile for the ball, DE Bernard Smith stood up, held the ball up over his head 5 yards away from the pile as if to say, "Here it is! I have the ball" Finally, a ref saw Smith and signalled Patriot ball.

I am very proud of our players. But not as proud as I was as they sang the Alma Mater in front of our fans. The players posed for a final photo before getting on the bus.

The players wanted to dump the water coolers on me. I told them we have done things the "Old School" way. Back in the day, when I was a Patriot football player, we carried the coach after a big victory into the showers and we soaked him that way.

Well, the players picked me up, carried me into the shower and got me drenched. Not just once, but twice! The players loved it and it re-introduced a lot of tradition to Patriot Football.

In the end, there were lots of hugs, love and admiration that was exchanged between me and all my players. I am proud of them as men and as football players. And I am proud they are a part me and the tradition of Patrick Henry Football.

KNSD 7/39 News Article on Darren Shanks

During the Mar Vista game, Greg Bledsoe of KNSD 7/39 came to our game and filmed parts of our game while doing a story on Darren Shanks. There have been many stories on Darren, his fight against cancer, the new uniforms and the Make a Wish Foundation. This one is very well done. Darren and I both feel this is our favorite story so far.

I have attached the link for you all to see the story yourself.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/health/One_Players_Legacy_San_Diego-106819673.html

Freshman Football Banquet

Our Freshman Football banquet will be on Wednesday November the 17th @ 6:30 pm in the Patrick Henry cafeteria.

Hunter's Steak House will be providing tri-tip steak, chicken breast, salad, garlic mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables and garlic bread. Cake and drinks will be provided by the Booster Club.

Dinner has already been paid for players who purchased a Spirit Pack. Additional tickets may be purchased for $18 a piece.

We will be recognizing the players, awarding the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year and the Top Academic Award winner.

We will also show a highlight DVD of the seasons best plays. If you wish to purchase the highlight DVD, I will be taking orders at the banquet for $10 a DVD and $5 for individual games.

I will be sending the banquet order forms home with the players today after our team photos. The due date for turning in the banquet order forms is Friday 11/12/10.

Hope to see you all there!

Cathedral Catholic Dons 55 Patriots 0

I want to start by saying, the Cathedral Dons were very good. They had some very good athletes and I was impressed by their play and ability. I look forward to seeing them move up the ranks and onto the next level. I sincerely salute you all.

The Dons are definitely the class of the Eastern League and if we are to ever have a chance at them for the next 3 years, we need to get bigger, stronger and faster. And all that comes from working out in the weight room.

We are in a downward spiral and the team is currently in a funk right now. We are making too many mental mistakes and it is too late in the season for us to be doing that. We asked the players to compete. And try as we may, we are just coming up short. After the Dons scored the first TD, you could feel the wind come out of our sails. It was a lopsided game and we will take our lumps like men.

So we will circle the wagons and button it up for our upcoming game against the Lancers of Hilltop HS.

Hilltop Scheduled for Wednesday 11/10/10

We were scheduled to play Lincoln HS on Wednesday 11/10/10. But due to grades and not enough players, Lincoln folded their Freshmen team leaving us without a game.

I called my former co-workers at Hilltop HS in Chula Vista and we scheduled a game with them to fill the void. Hilltop Freshmen Head Coach Mark Flint is a great guy and playing against them is like playing against my brother. We are looking forward to going to Hilltop HS.

Directions to Hilltop:
S/B on I-805
Exit west on H Street
Left on Hilltop Drive
Left on I Street
Hilltop HS on the left side of the street

Hope to see you all there!