From left to right, Desmond McCant, Jamal Mitchell, coach Mike Clay, Marcus Snipes and Bernie Vaughn look to make an impact in the inaugural season for St. Frances football. (Baltimore Sun photo by Monica Lopossay / August 29, 2008) |
Sitting on a folding chair under a shade tree in Druid Hill Park on a warm afternoon, Donna Lawrence watched her son Desmond McCant practice with the St. Frances football team.
What she was looking at was a dry, dusty field with 48 athletes listening intently to a volunteer coaching staff.
It is St. Frances' version of a field of dreams. The school, known for its highly successful boys and girls basketball programs, is fielding a football team for the first time.
"This football team has really helped my son," said Lawrence, who was joined on the hillside by a small group of parents. "I found him going in the wrong direction this summer. There is a little bit of gang influence in our neighborhood, and he was hanging out on the street corner. I heard about this team, told him to call and since he has joined, his whole attitude, everything has changed. He doesn't even want to be out on the corner. He says, 'I've got to do my reading because I want to play.' It's pushing my son to do his homework."
Helping students such as McCant, a junior offensive guard, go in the right direction has been the mission of the school on East Chase Street for 180years. Its president, Sister John Francis Schilling, said it was the main reason she decided "to take a leap of faith" and begin a program that will cost the school more than $100,000 this season as it starts playing football from scratch.
There are new black, white and gold game-day uniforms, new practice uniforms, new helmets, new shoes, new everything. There is a new, about-to-be-finished practice field at the school and dreams of a playing field on the city campus.
"The kids had been asking for football, but what made me finally decide is the whole problem in the city," Sister John Francis said. "Kids are coming in here from middle schools and are already in gangs. Most of them are from single-parent homes, mostly raised by their mothers, and they're ripe fodder. They're looking for male role models. I thought football would be a great thing to get them involved here and keep them focused.
"And it already has been. We had 17 kids in the weight room every day this summer. It amazed me. There are nearly 50 kids practicing every day. They're learning more discipline. They have meals together, Mass together. They're building team unity. There is no reason for them to get involved with gangs."
The idea is noble, but Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association executive director Rick Diggs said the football proposal came as a bit of a shock.
"There was some hesitation for enthusiasm," Diggs said. "They have one of the smallest male enrollments among our schools. I'm guessing not even 200 males. ... It is a little surprising because of the population and the expense involved."
St. Frances' enrollment is 360 students, an estimated 60percent of whom are boys, according to Sister John Francis.
The Panthers will play an independent schedule this season. Coach Mike Clay said St.Frances probably would apply for MIAA membership next year as part of the BConference, not the C, as some anticipated based on the school's size.
Despite this being the program's inaugural season, Clay believes his team will be competitive.
"We will be surprisingly better than a first-year program," said Clay, who led St. Mary's to the MIAA BConference title last season. "I think we have more talent across the board [than he had at St.Mary's last year]. It's how they develop that talent. But right now, talentwise, we're going to be good."
The school, which has a policy that every player who goes out for the team makes the team, will play five freshman-sophomore games and a full nine-game varsity schedule. The varsity opens with Delmar (Del.) on Saturday night at Cardinal Gibbons, where St.Frances will play its home games, and concludes Nov.15, with a much-anticipated game at Calvert Hall.
"This year?" Diggs said in disbelief when told St.Frances had scheduled Calvert Hall, an AConference team. "Gee whiz!"
Said Calvert Hall coach Donald Davis: "Mike Clay is a friend of mine, and he'll put his heart and soul into making St.Frances competitive. They have some obvious difficulties - facilities and teaching kids to win without a winning tradition. But we're playing them for two reasons. First because Mike is a friend, and second because I really wanted to play a game that week. Otherwise, we would have a 20-day layoff before we play Loyola."
Clay said he has 10 transfers with solid experience, including three from his St.Mary's program, and a roster full of enthusiastic players, most of whom have at least recreational league experience.
"No one is looking at us to win," said junior wide receiver Marcus Snipes, a St.Mary's transfer. "But I want to see us come out and win eight games. We have a lot more talented kids than we did at St.Mary's."
The Panthers will have several basketball players on their roster, including junior Bernie Vaughn, who will start at quarterback.
"I transferred here for basketball last year, but I'm excited about the football team," said Vaughn, who helped Woodlawn win the Baltimore County junior varsity football championship two years ago. "We're making history."
Junior Jamal Mitchell, a basketball player who is being considered for wide receiver and/or defensive end, said he might be nervous playing in his first game Saturday, but he believes his team has a good chance of winning.
"This team isn't like the basketball team," he said. "It's more aggressive and has a lot of heart. There's not much love on the basketball team. There are just five of us playing and each one knows he can score on his own. On this team, if you don't show love, you're not going to win. You've got to play your position and show love for your teammates or you're not going to have anything to show for it."
What she was looking at was a dry, dusty field with 48 athletes listening intently to a volunteer coaching staff.
It is St. Frances' version of a field of dreams. The school, known for its highly successful boys and girls basketball programs, is fielding a football team for the first time.
"This football team has really helped my son," said Lawrence, who was joined on the hillside by a small group of parents. "I found him going in the wrong direction this summer. There is a little bit of gang influence in our neighborhood, and he was hanging out on the street corner. I heard about this team, told him to call and since he has joined, his whole attitude, everything has changed. He doesn't even want to be out on the corner. He says, 'I've got to do my reading because I want to play.' It's pushing my son to do his homework."
Helping students such as McCant, a junior offensive guard, go in the right direction has been the mission of the school on East Chase Street for 180years. Its president, Sister John Francis Schilling, said it was the main reason she decided "to take a leap of faith" and begin a program that will cost the school more than $100,000 this season as it starts playing football from scratch.
There are new black, white and gold game-day uniforms, new practice uniforms, new helmets, new shoes, new everything. There is a new, about-to-be-finished practice field at the school and dreams of a playing field on the city campus.
"The kids had been asking for football, but what made me finally decide is the whole problem in the city," Sister John Francis said. "Kids are coming in here from middle schools and are already in gangs. Most of them are from single-parent homes, mostly raised by their mothers, and they're ripe fodder. They're looking for male role models. I thought football would be a great thing to get them involved here and keep them focused.
"And it already has been. We had 17 kids in the weight room every day this summer. It amazed me. There are nearly 50 kids practicing every day. They're learning more discipline. They have meals together, Mass together. They're building team unity. There is no reason for them to get involved with gangs."
The idea is noble, but Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association executive director Rick Diggs said the football proposal came as a bit of a shock.
"There was some hesitation for enthusiasm," Diggs said. "They have one of the smallest male enrollments among our schools. I'm guessing not even 200 males. ... It is a little surprising because of the population and the expense involved."
St. Frances' enrollment is 360 students, an estimated 60percent of whom are boys, according to Sister John Francis.
The Panthers will play an independent schedule this season. Coach Mike Clay said St.Frances probably would apply for MIAA membership next year as part of the BConference, not the C, as some anticipated based on the school's size.
Despite this being the program's inaugural season, Clay believes his team will be competitive.
"We will be surprisingly better than a first-year program," said Clay, who led St. Mary's to the MIAA BConference title last season. "I think we have more talent across the board [than he had at St.Mary's last year]. It's how they develop that talent. But right now, talentwise, we're going to be good."
The school, which has a policy that every player who goes out for the team makes the team, will play five freshman-sophomore games and a full nine-game varsity schedule. The varsity opens with Delmar (Del.) on Saturday night at Cardinal Gibbons, where St.Frances will play its home games, and concludes Nov.15, with a much-anticipated game at Calvert Hall.
"This year?" Diggs said in disbelief when told St.Frances had scheduled Calvert Hall, an AConference team. "Gee whiz!"
Said Calvert Hall coach Donald Davis: "Mike Clay is a friend of mine, and he'll put his heart and soul into making St.Frances competitive. They have some obvious difficulties - facilities and teaching kids to win without a winning tradition. But we're playing them for two reasons. First because Mike is a friend, and second because I really wanted to play a game that week. Otherwise, we would have a 20-day layoff before we play Loyola."
Clay said he has 10 transfers with solid experience, including three from his St.Mary's program, and a roster full of enthusiastic players, most of whom have at least recreational league experience.
"No one is looking at us to win," said junior wide receiver Marcus Snipes, a St.Mary's transfer. "But I want to see us come out and win eight games. We have a lot more talented kids than we did at St.Mary's."
The Panthers will have several basketball players on their roster, including junior Bernie Vaughn, who will start at quarterback.
"I transferred here for basketball last year, but I'm excited about the football team," said Vaughn, who helped Woodlawn win the Baltimore County junior varsity football championship two years ago. "We're making history."
Junior Jamal Mitchell, a basketball player who is being considered for wide receiver and/or defensive end, said he might be nervous playing in his first game Saturday, but he believes his team has a good chance of winning.
"This team isn't like the basketball team," he said. "It's more aggressive and has a lot of heart. There's not much love on the basketball team. There are just five of us playing and each one knows he can score on his own. On this team, if you don't show love, you're not going to win. You've got to play your position and show love for your teammates or you're not going to have anything to show for it."
The Baltimore Sun's All-Metro selections in baseball, softball, boys and girls lacrosse, and boys and girls track and field. Other teams are listed below:
