DOLPHIN LINEMEN GET ‘DOWN-N-DIRTY’

Marathon players polish skills at camp

high school level and progress to the next level,” he said, adding that the mixture of high school and college coaches running the event would also benefit him in the coming season. “Being taught by both really opened my eyes to how the next level is coached and how to prepare myself.”

The camp aims to develop techniques critical to becoming a solid lineman, focusing on both the physical and psychological factors involved in the process. Ed Garcia’s brother Braulio, who will be a junior next season, took away a bit of the latter, explaining that he learned, “Even small people can still be ‘dogs’ and punish people who are bigger than them.”

Naima Thomas

On June 20, nine Marathon football players made the trek to Webber International University just outside of Lake Wales to attend the Down and Dirty Lineman Camp. The skills camp is designed to take good offensive and defensive linemen and develop them into great ones. Marathon’s “mules,” as termed by the camp for the linemen’s ability to carry the load for a team, often put in the work and get little glory, but it is these linemen who can ultimately determine the success or failure of a team.

The players endured a grueling schedule over the three-day camp, with multiple daily practice sessions. The schedule did not discourage the young athletes, though. “It takes a lot of hard work to get good at something,” said upcoming junior Nolan O’Hare.

O’Hare, described as a “high-energy player” by coach Sean McDonald, is relatively new to football, joining the team in the spring after baseball and going “all-in” ever since.

Upcoming sophomore Eduardo Garcia decided a while ago that he was going to put forth whatever it took to make it to the collegiate level. Garcia is a studious athlete who pays attention to detail and is willing to put in the extra effort to improve. He used the camp to gauge his progress thus far.

“The biggest takeaway I had … was seeing the competition and seeing where I needed to be to be elite at the

Fellow junior Robert Petrick suffered a setback last fall, breaking his wrist early in the ’22 season. Undeterred, Petrick returned for spring ball and attended the camp. He felt his mantra – “No matter how hard it gets, never quit” – was reinforced by the staff, who he also said instilled the concept of “working together to get better.”

Throughout the camp, the athletes worked on drills to improve stances, starts, trapping, double teams, pass blocking, gap control, pursuit, tackling and many other skills. On the final day, the players engaged in a competition to determine the top athletes in the skills taught. Sophomore Steven Stotts was particularly adept at pass rushing, finishing at the top of his group’s challenge in that skill. Teammates Matthew Delgado, another rising sophomore, and the Garcia brothers turned heads in high-speed pass-blocking drills. The three-man team beat out many challenging groups with their teamwork and athleticism.

Marathon head coach Sean McDonald understands the value of well-coached, highly-trained linemen, having played that role himself.

“The linemen are the foundation for a team,” he said. “Marathon is a small school. We are always going to have a small core of good players, but if we build the skills and develop a couple more, we will win a lot more games. A team with good linemen will always be a contender.”

Football season officially begins July 31, when schools may schedule their first non-contact practices. Aug. 25 marks the start of competition.

Junior, Key West Cross Country

Key West’s Naima Thomas is the sort of athlete who makes coaching a joy. As a freshman, she proved to be an up-and-coming track star with natural speed, making her an exciting prospect for the Conchs in the sprinting events. She then took her speed and added some major miles last fall on coach Keara McGraw’s cross country team.

“Naima shows up with a great attitude, works hard, and is always striving to be better,” McGraw said of Thomas, who dropped several minutes from her 5K time and helped propel the Conchs to regionals in 2022.

When cross country season closed, she hit the track again, focusing on longer distances and helping her 4x800m relay team reach regionals too. With her usual determination and focus, Thomas has been putting in the miles this summer to prepare for fall’s cross country season. For her dedication to her sport and her team coupled with an unmatchable work ethic, Naima Thomas is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald