New Year, Clean Slate

9/1/2022

Optimism fills the hot, sticky, Monday-morning air.

Enthusiasm abounds as music blares from the speaker positioned just off the glistening turf of the Grover Jones Field.

As Collegiate’s varsity football team begins its third week of practice, adrenaline flows, and spirits are buoyant, for the slate is clean, there’s unfinished business to address, and the future, Coach Mark Palyo’s guys know full well, is very much within their control.

“The energy has been amazing,” said Brandon Watson, a senior wide receiver/cornerback. “Last year, we didn’t have the season we wanted. This past year, we’ve been prepping for this season. These practices have been some of the hardest I’ve encountered in my life. These guys are raring to go. They’re ready to play some football.”

In the fall of 2021, the Cougars, you might say, were snakebit.

Coming off the Covid year when their field time was limited to daily non-contact training on the Robins Campus and an intrasquad flag football league to keep the competitive juices flowing, the Cougars returned to action with high hopes which soared even higher after they opened with a 21-0 victory over Goochland on the road.

Then, they suffered one injury after another, found themselves backing and filling each week, and, despite their best efforts, finished 5-5. It seemed a flashback to 2019 when injuries took their toll as well and, after a 4-1 start, they ended 5-4.

Enough is enough, they insist.

“We know we have a good team,” said Hank Shield, a senior captain and two-way end. “Guys have been very proactive about their injuries. Everybody’s getting in the training room early and getting treatment when they need it and making sure everything feels good. With Hayden Rollison, we’ve been doing a lot of stretching. He’s very familiar with yoga.”

Turns out Rollison’s mom Jantz is a yoga instructor who worked with the Cougars on post-game Saturdays last fall. The buy-in was positive, then and now.

“The last 20 minutes of practice during camp, we usually do some yoga,” said Rollison, a senior captain who starts at linebacker and tight end. “I just run them through some stretches to get everybody’s hamstrings and hips loose. We’re doing everything we can to prevent injuries.”

Eight starters return on defense: Michael West and Shield (end), Kevin Johnson (tackle), Rollison, Hudson Avery, and Eli Petty (linebacker), Watson (cornerback) and Krystian Williams (safety). L.J. Hawkins (tackle), Warner Lewis (safety), and Hudson Neese (cornerback) have also earned starting spots.

The offense is less experienced. Williams and Rollison (receiver) and Charlie Cunningham and Carter Mitchell (tackle) return. Ben Street, Petty, Avery, and Shield will also be part of the rotation at the receiver positions. Jack Callaghan is projected to open at quarterback. Wyatt King (running back), Tyler Stepanian (center), and Aaron Atkins and Hawkins (guard) top the depth chart at their positions. Blake Ingold will handle the place kicking.

Williams, a 6-1, 175-pound senior, has verbally committed to Virginia Tech.

As a junior, he caught 26 passes for 604 yards and seven touchdowns. Though teams tended to shy away from him on defense, he was credited with 46 tackles (five for losses), one sack, three interceptions, four pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He was selected first-team All Prep League and All-VISAA and honorable mention All-Metro.

After a short pre-season which included a get-the-kinks-out scrimmage at Powhatan, the Cougars open at Goochland Friday night.

“We do the best we can with the time we have,” said Palyo, who’s in his 16^th season as head coach. “We’ve been able to squeeze in some film sessions with on-the-field teaching. We have a core group of 20 seniors as well as several other experienced players who came in with a very positive attitude and very strong work ethic. They were well prepared. They’re leading the rest of the team to play catch-up to get to their level.”

The schedule offers no breathers. Trinity Episcopal and Benedictine are ranked in the Times-Dispatch Top 10. The Cougars also match up with Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Episcopal, Fork Union, and St. Christopher’s on the road and Woodberry Forest and Norfolk Academy at home.

“I dare say we have one of the toughest schedules in the area,” Palyo said. “We’ll prepare our players to the best of our ability. When it’s their turn to go, whether it’s one rep in a game or practice or in the warmup line or agility line, I ask them to give their best. If they’re giving their best, I’m pleased. As coaches, we’ll always work to put our players in the best position possible to have success. That’s what it’s about.”

~Weldon Bradshaw

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