GOING FORTH 2018
Issue 6
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Going Forth 2018 THE NEWSLETTER OF LOYOLA BLAKEFIELD FOOTBALL - ROLL DONS ROLL!
Dons’ Roll Call
by
Coach Zehyoue
Parents, Players, & Friends thank you for your continued support of Loyola Football. With each week, I am filled with joy when I see our spirit-filled student sections and wonderful fan base of friends, alumni, and family at our games. My hope is for both groups to continue to grow as the season progresses. Please continue to invite others to come and support your sons. The boys really do feed off the energy you share. Let’s pack the house on Saturday vs. St. Mary’s! Week 3 Recap Week 3 was one of my favorites so far - as we were finally able to play two complete football games at the JV and Varsity level! The Dons went 2-0 with the JV team and the Varsity team defeating Curley. Congratulations to all Dons Players and Coaching Staff for an outstanding week on the gridiron. I am very proud of the coaches and players for all the accomplishments on the field; we trusted one another, played physical football, and competed until the very end. My hope is that our sense of belief and determination will only strengthen as the season progresses. Particularly, our defense continues to play dominant football as the Defensive Staff did a fantastic job in their planning for Curley’s offense and making sure our players were well
prepared to play Thursday and Friday. Offensively, we continue to make strides every week. Kudos to our Offensive Coaches, in particular, who were charged with getting a new starting Varsity quarterback ready on two days notice. The players also did a very nice job supporting one another through this adversity. Finally, Special Teams were a consistent force for us in both games. I admire how our Special Teams Units take a tremendous amount of pride in playing special teams. Finally, I am very grateful to our Senior Football Players who spent Saturday morning visiting with children at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. This visit was extremely inspirational and loads of fun. I was reminded by the patients, families, and staff members at the hospital the value of a positive outlook. These patients have all faced incredibly difficult events that have drastically altered their lives in some form or fashion. These individuals have chosen to approach each day with vigor, energy, and determination. I hope that we can all exemplify that same perspective in all that we do. Looking Ahead to Week 4 and Beyond One of my goals for the program moving forward this season is that we increase our attention to detail on the field and in preparation and development. Paying
attention to the “small things/difference makers” and having great purpose within these will lead to deeper levels of understanding and greater capability/skill within the game – especially in close competitions.
This Week’s Schedule Monday, September 17 (3PM-5PM) Tuesday, September 18 (3PM-6PM) Wednesday, September 19 (3PM-6PM) Thursday, September 20 o Varsity 3PM-6:30 PM o Varsity phone calls to Donors o 6:30PM JV GAME vs. St. Mary (@St. Mary) Friday, September 21 o Varsity 3-4:45PM o JV 3-4:30PM o Movie Night 6PM Saturday, September 22 o Varsity Game vs. St. Mary (Hargaden Field) 1PM Sunday, September 23 (Off) Study Hall This week, Academic Study Hall for the football team will take place from 3:00-3:40 PM on Tuesday and Wednesday. This is an opportunity for your sons to complete homework assignments, meet with teachers, and get a jump start on homework.
GOING FORTH 2018
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Linemen Dinners/Skill Dinners
Turkey Bowl Ads
This week, we continue our tradition of linemen dinner/skill dinners. The goal of the dinners is to build further camaraderie among our boys and coaches by breaking bread together and having fun. Being that it takes place on a school night, please know that the dinners are NOT mandatory. This week, on Wednesday after practice, the Skill guys will be going to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings in White Marsh. Each player is responsible for paying for his own meal - except for the Player of the Week from JV and Varsity who get a free meal courtesy of me. Let me repeat, this is NOT mandatory.
Although we are nearly two months away, we must be thinking ahead and planning for the Turkey Bowl. You will find information attached to this email regarding Turkey Bowl advertisements. There are special discounts which apply to parents of football players only. Thanks to Stephanie McClure for organizing this information.
JV vs. St. Mary’s This week our JV team will be traveling to Annapolis to take on the St. Mary’s JV Saints. Kickoff is still being negotiated. St. Mary’s has scheduled the game for 6:30PM due to other events at their school. Good luck to Coach Price and our Dons and they look to earn victory #2! Dons Donor/Supporter Phone Calls Our Development Office has asked for the program’s help in calling donors to offer sincere appreciation for their support. Nonsenior Varsity football players will be asked to stick around after practice and make calls on Thursday, September 20 from about 5:306:30. Pizza will be provided for the boys. Each call will be brief and the boys will be provided with training and support from the staff on how to best extend our thanks.
Chain Gang Thank you again to those who have already served as members of the Chain Gang since Dan Callahan has shared the link to sign-up genius for helpers. Please consider helping us out in this endeavor. The Chain Gang is an essential component to every football game at any level. Recruiting New Dons As a reminder, if any of you know of a young man who would make an excellent Don, please do not hesitate to communicate this information to myself and/or Coach Hines greghines_music@hotmail.com. The coaches are out scouting and meeting parents and potential new members of our program at local rec/youth football games and would love to meet anyone you think would be a great fit at Loyola academically and athletically. As always, Roll, Dons, Roll! --- Coach Zehyoue
Friday Movie Night This Friday at 6PM, we will hold a Movie Night in Wheeler Lounge. Pizza will be provided. Any snacks you would like to contribute would be greatly appreciated. All players, JV and Varsity, are welcome. Varsity vs. St. Mary’s This Saturday, the Varsity team will welcome the St. Mary Saints to Hargaden Field for a 1PM Kickoff. The Saints come into the game after losing a hard-fought battle to Delmar High School in Delaware 23-35 last Friday night. I am looking forward to a great football game on Saturday afternoon. I hope to see you there. Also, please join us after each game in singing the Loyola Fight Song after each game.
Twitter: @Touchdowndons Instagram: @Touchdowndons
Coach Zehyoue, Coach Melville, and the Senior Football Dons giving back to the community on a service trip to Kennedy Krieger Institute Saturday morning.
GOING FORTH 2018
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Inside the Huddle by Coach
Tim Twiss, Offensive Coach, Receivers
What I Know I have the unique role of being both a Loyola Blakefield football coach and a parent of one of the players. As a fellow parent, I thought there were a few things you might want to know, and a few things you need to know, about the Loyola Football Program. First, the things you might want to know: About Football I am regularly blown away by the quality of our coaching staff. I would challenge any high school football program in the area to match our coaches' football IQ, their passion for the game, their commitment to winning, and the amount of time and energy they give to our sons' success on the field.
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around. They smile and laugh easily. They communicate openly with their coaches, and they answer questions in almost full sentences. All of this is clearly being reflected on the field- never more so than in the post-game celebration on Friday with the players, students and Head Coach, singing the Loyola Alma Mater-- cool stuff!
as parents, are blessed to have them as part of our sons’ lives. I am humbled and proud to part of the coaching staff here. And I am grateful to them and your sons for allowing me to be a part of Loyola Football. Anyway, just a few things I thought you might want know and few things I thought you should know… RDR! ----Coach Twiss
Now, the things you need to know. Coach Z has a different guest speaker come in every week so the kids can hear a different voice or get a fresh, inspiring message. Last week's guest speaker, Brandon Floyd ’09, mentioned the "What is your Why" from the motivational speaker Eric Thomas. If you haven't heard it, it is great. Here is one of the links to a speech from Thomas.
About the Program’s Culture
My "coaching" why is because everything good in my life has either directly or indirectly come from football. I don't like to think about where I would be without the lifepath football afforded me or the lessons it has taught and is still teaching me. I felt an overwhelming need to give back to the sport that has meant so much to me. I don't know the "why" of the other coaches –
Enthusiasm. One of the definitions of this word is “to be filled with the spirit of God.” Now, I am not saying the Loyola Blakefield football team is filled with the spirit of God--- that is way above my pay grade. Maybe Father Steggert can confirm... What I can confirm is that our kids are filled with energy. They are playing and practicing with passion. Our sons are Committed and Engaged. Their attitude is "do whatever it takes" and "where do you need me coach?" And I know this part might be hard to believe, but they are a pleasure to be
But I thought you needed to know the quality of the character of the men leading our sons. More than their commitment to winning football games is their commitment to our sons’ growth as men. You have seen some evidence of this in the things written in this space- but those words pale in comparison to their daily actions and interactions with our boys. Love is a verb- it takes action and effort. Our coaches clearly love our sons- I see them be guides, friends, mentors, role models and shepherds to our boys everyday. We,
Weekly Coaches’ Call Outs At the end of each practice, each Coach recognizes one or two Dons who stood out in practice for exceptional effort, being coachable, being a great teammate, and other notables. It is my hope to update you with our coaches call out each week. A X 2, x 3, x 4 next to a player’s name means that a player received multiple call-outs from different coaches and truly excelled that day in practice. Feel free to ask these young men more about why they are listed below. September 10: Tye Pearce, Andy Joerres, Bennett Traurig, Henry Tolker, Aiden Parsons September 11: Patrick Buch, Owen Fischer x 2, Dominic Pugh, Andy Joerres, Trevor Madigan September 14: Offensive Line, Jordan Moore, Adrian Russell, Kickoff team, Andy Joerres, Noah Bull
Dons football alum, Brandon Floyd, '09, came by practice Sept. 12th to pump up the boys for their game vs Curley.
GOING FORTH 2018
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Healthy Tips
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The Spiritual Exercises by Brendan O’Kane
by Coach Korrow, Assistant Director of Athletics
Director of Ignatian Ministry & Identity
Topic 6: Caring for Your Equipment = Caring for Your Health
From the Spiritual Diary of St. Ignatius: Today, even when walking the city, I felt great interior joy, and on seeing three rational creatures together, or three animals, or three other things, the Blessed Trinity was brought before me: and so continuously.
While Febreze and other deodorizers may remove or mask smell, cleaning and disinfecting your equipment is required to ensure your own health and the health of the team Follow a few simple guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting your equipment. These are by no means an exhaustive list, but I hope you find them helpful. First, take equipment off as soon as you can after a practice or a game. Once at home, store your equipment in a dry place and clean it as soon as you can by following the tips below. Helmets/Chin Straps/Mouth Guards – Wipe down the outside and mask/chin strap using anti-bacterial wipes or warm soapy water. The inside can be sprayed with Lysol or other similar disinfectant spray. Follow manufacturers recommendations for disinfecting mouth guards. Shoulder pads – These can also be sprayed with Lysol or other similar disinfectant spray. If the pads become extremely muddy, simply hose them off and hang to dry in the sun. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant. Then, spray with disinfectant. Hip pads – Wipe with soap and damp cloth, dry in the sun, then, spray with disinfectant. Cup and athletic supporter – Most athletic support systems can be thrown in the wash. Read and follow the manufacturer’s care label. Knee and Thigh pads – These can be treated with by spraying with disinfectant or wiping warm soapy water as needed. Thoroughly dry in the sun before re-use. Cleats- Spray with disinfectant, or toss in the wash if recommended by care label. Dry in the sun or as recommended. Always thoroughly dry out cleats before re-use. Take extra care to thoroughly disinfect any equipment with blood or other bodily fluids. Take time to inspect your equipment while cleaning and disinfecting your equipment. Note any faults, defects, loose or missing components, and general wear and tear from week to week. Address any issues noted immediately.
Let us strive to have eyes, like Ignatius, eyes open to seeing God in all things and in all people. In the good times, and the bad, we must look for God. If we do, we’ll surely find Him. Maybe in a huddle, in a classroom, in a car or bus ride, He is with us. God is waiting on us to see with new eyes, eyes that look for all the good in the world. – Brendan O’Kane
Spirit Committee Announcements Ø Turn in remaining Lift-A-Thon $$ to Coach Zehyoue Ø If you have not paid yet, $275.00 Varsity FB Team Fee due to Coach Zehyoue ASAP. Checks payable to Loyola Blakefield. Ø Follow Loyola FB on Social Media! Ø Send any Dons Football (recent or throwback) to Coach Wright rwright@loyolablakefield.org for our social media accounts!
GOING FORTH 2018
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Reflections: Q&A with Senior Dons Emidio Bucci Running Back/Linebacker Each week during the season, Going Forth will feature a Q&A with one of our Senior Dons. This week, we continue our Senior Reflections with Emidio Bucci. Pre-Game Song: Jump Around by House of Pain Pre-Game Snack: C-4 energy drink and an apple Motivational Quote: “Throw it over the shortstop’s head” -Brian Bucci Other skills/talents: I also play baseball and paint. What is your best memory as a Don? Kairos retreat last Winter was my best memory so far. What are you most looking forward to for your Senior season? I am looking forward to playing in the Turkey Bowl with my teammates one last time. As a veteran of Loyola and Dons Football, what advice would you give to the rookies on the team? First, work hard now, four years go by quickly. Second, don’t leave anything left in the tank; don’t let your brothers down. Last, trust in your teammates, the coaches, and the values Loyola teaches you. Coach Zehyoue on Emidio Bucci “Emidio is both responsible and respectful. On the field, he always knows his assignments and gives maximal effort on every single play. I’m proud to work with him.“
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