DiGIOVANNI: Rustin’s double-scrimmage plan could pay off big time
Since the PIAA decided two years ago to cram 10 regular season games in a season that ends before November 1, high school football teams have been forced to start the season the weekend before Labor Day, in late August.
Last season, many District 3 squads opted to play just nine games and go with two scrimmages, instead of the one scrimmage and a game the weekend before Labor Day.
Many coaches felt that just having heat acclimation week and one week of two-a-day practices was not enough to get the players ready for the season. And, looking at some of the sloppy play in Week 1, I would have to agree.
This season, West Chester Rustin head coach Mike St. Clair decided to go with the two scrimmage and nine regular season game plan. The Golden Knights had scrimmages with Sporing-Ford and Haverford School before playing their first game last Thursday. Rustin looked quite sharp, blowing out West Chester Henderson, 48-0.
“I just felt that one week of two-a-day practices was not enough to get a team ready,” St. Clair said before the Henderson game. “For as long as I can remember, maybe when I was just 6 years old, it was two weeks of football practice. We just felt it was best for our team. We will see how it works out.”
From the looks of Rustin’s first game, it worked just fine. The Golden Knights racked up 520 total yards of offense on the Warriors and the Rustin defense shut out Henderson in the first installment of the Battle for West Chester.
After the game, one of the leaders of the Rustin squad, Sean Hopkins, credited the two weeks of practice as playing a big role in the Golden Knights’ impressive showing against the Warriors.
“We really felt good out there tonight,” Hopkins said. “We had two scrimmages and two weeks of two-a-days and I really feel it helped with our speed and the shape we were in as a team.”
West Chester Rustin has been a power in the Ches-Mont League American Division for as long as St. Clair has been boss, and has also been a major player in the District 1 Class 5A playoff bracket, so who’s to argue? If Week 1 is any indication, going to two scrimmages and two weeks of practice is just what the doctor ordered for the talented Golden knights.
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Looking a little ahead to Week 3, Coatesville will attempt to exorcize some demons and try to defeat District 3 power Cumberland Valley. The Red Raiders have lost to the Eagles the last two seasons and are looking for revenge.
Coatesville has already torched Harrisburg and Middletown South of New Jersey, scoring 95 points combined in those first two victories. Cumberland Valley was hit hard by graduation and in its first game of the season, gave up 612 yards of total offense to Bishop McDevitt, so the Red Raiders looked primed to rout another opponent on their march to the PIAA 6A state finals and a likely date with St. Joseph’s Prep.
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Not enough credit has been given to second year head coach Mike Means of Oxford. The Hornets were a mess before Means took over and now Oxford sits at 2-0 and high in the District 1 Class 5A playoff race. A far cry from where the Hornets were before Means took over the reins of the Hornet program. Oxford will host Owen J. Roberts this Friday and attempt to go 3-0 for the first time in more than 20 years.
Peter DiGiovanni covers high school football for the Daily Local News and Pa. Prep Live. You can reach him at pdigiovanni07@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteDLN.
