For Spartans, 1 at a time

By CHUCK SOUDERS (Sports Writer chuck_s@newsitem.com)

Published: September 3, 2010

Article Tools

Font size: [A] [A] [A]

Our Social Networks

Facebook

North Schuylkill football coach Rick Geist isn't one for polls and things.

It's no big deal to him that his Spartans are ranked very high in most of the statewide Class AA polls, as well they should be, coming off a 13-1 season and with seven starters back on both sides of the ball.

He doesn't expect his team to read its press clippings and get big heads, and he'll do what he can to make sure of it.

"We'll take it one game at a time, one day at a time," Geist said earlier this week as the Spartans prepared for a tough opener against Shenandoah Valley. "We don't give big speeches before games. I don't believe in all that stuff. I know when I played, if we had a coach who made big speeches, I'd forget about it by the second play of the game."

Geist prefers being more focused by better preparation during the week.

"I tell the kids each week that on Monday, we're on the bottom step of the ladder, no matter what happened the week before," he said. "On Tuesday, we're on the next step, Wednesday the next, Thursday the next and finally we're hopefully ready for the top step on Friday. But you can't go from the bottom step to the top step in one day."

Geist said he saw significant improvement in his team from the firt scrimmage to the second.

"I thought we did really well in the second scrimmage," he said. "We scored five touchdowns and our quarterback threw the ball pretty well."

The Blue Devils are coming off a 7-5 season in which they won an Eastern Conference Class A championship. and although they only have two starters back on offense and three on defense, they have a host of players who got experience in backup situations last season.

And one of the returning starters is running back Eric Whalen, who ran for 1,468 yards and 15 touchdowns on 278 carries last season, including a school single game record 371 yards against Jim Thorpe.

"The running back (Whalen) can break one open on you any time," Geist said. "Our defense will have to be careful not to get up the field too far. If you get too far up, he'll run right by."

Chris Palubinsky will be starting at quarterback for the Devils, and Geist said he has shown a strong arm in their scrimmages.

North Schuylkill will also be breaking in a new quarterback in junior Ryan Henning, but his job will be made somewhat easier with a host of veterans around him, including running backs Scott Houser, Ed Pavalko and Mike Shinkus.

Ads by Yahoo!

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.