Lady Falcons set to scrimmage Loranger.
St. Thomas volleyball opens season with scrimmage Thursday against the Lady Wolves.
HAMMOND—The Lady Falcons will open the 2008 season with a scrimmage on the road against Loranger on
Thursday at 4:00 p.m. This year’s squad is one of the youngest with just one senior—Lori McAfee, and
11 freshmen that make up a squad of 31 strong. The incoming freshmen include Tristan Bland, Sarah Calabresi,
Amy Dugas, Emily Egan, Catherine Faust, Jensine Joseph, Jennifer LaBarre, Christina Russell,
Katie Russell, Amanda Schiro, and Jessie Willis.
Falcon Football growing up in 2008
Falcons welcome 22 freshman and return 25 lettermen.
by Gary Lee
HAMMOND—With the exception of the heat reminding all present that it is still early August
in south Louisiana, that familiar fall football feeling was alive and well Tuesday
morning as the St. Thomas Football Falcons conducted their first day of non-contact drills
with the complete roster of returning upperclassmen and 22 new freshmen on hand.
“The enthusiasm of the guys was excellent,” said head coach John White.
“Our returning group of starters executed most of the drills well,
but our young guys especially our incoming freshmen have to get acclimated and learn
their positions. You expect this and it is our job as coaches to teach them and help them get up to speed.”
For Coach White, this is his third year to head up a program that had
a breakout year last season upsetting the highly ranked Springfield Bulldogs 21-20 on
the road early in the season. St. Thomas went on to sweep through the rest of the district
to claim the 9-2A crown. This year also features the most returning lettermen at 25.
“I think we had only forty-two guys out my first spring here,” said White. “This year we
have seventy-two out a week before school starts. We have a lot of work to do to get
where we want to be, but I see the program progressing and it is a tribute
to the hard work of the kids and our coaches.”
The Falcons welcomed 22 freshmen to their ranks and with so many new
faces coach White expects that it will take some time for the younger players to learn
the practice routines and get used to the faster pace. “Hopefully in a couple of weeks the
practices will
ALWAYS THE TEACHER—Coach John White gives one-on-one instruction during Tuesday’s
opening day of drills. |
be more crisp and shorter,” explained White. “I was planning on not working
as long as we did, but with so many new players it takes longer move from drill
to drill and we as coaches have to do more teaching and organizing.”
St. Thomas, as with all the parish teams, will keep working in shorts
until school starts in earnest next week and pads are allowed. The Falcons will open the
regular season September 5 with two straight road games against Kentwood and Episcopal.
St. Thomas will then entertain Riverside to open home play on September 19.
“Our returning starters and seniors are raring to go, but we have to hold
them back a bit so our younger guys can catch up,” said White. “It is way too early to see
who might emerge from our younger players, but we hope they will stay with us because in
time we can help them develop into solid football players.”
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