Crusaders concentrate on conditioning

PARKERSBURG - Veteran Parkersburg Catholic head football coach Danny Tennant has 28 players out for the opening week of practice

''We haven't put the pads on yet,'' Tennant said Wednesday. ''We're still just in shorts and helmets, and not doing a lot of football stuff right now. We're doing a lot of conditioning and formations - you know, where to line up and that kind of stuff.

''When we put the pads on and start banging around a little bit, we'll know more. Hopefully, we'll get some answers and find out what positions some people can play.''

Full pads go on today, but no live hitting occurs until Tuesday.

The Crusaders are attempting to bounce back from a sub-par 3-6 season in 2007 that saw them miss the West Virginia Class A playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons.

• MT. ZION - The Red Devils of first-year Calhoun County head football coach Doyle Hupp have been going through drills with about two and a half dozen players.

"We actually figured between 30 and 35 and we are going to end up with 31," Hupp said. "That's pretty much what we figured.

"We haven't had 35 kids for I think 10 years. It's nothing new. It's always about the same number."

Hupp, who was an assistant coach under Bryan Sterns when CCHS made the playoffs last year, said Mike Stump will continue serving as the defensive coordinator. Hupp will call the plays on offense.

Replacing veteran signal-caller Matt Houchin is one of Hupp's biggest tasks. Randy Fluharty is battling Zach Moore for the quarterback slot.

No matter who wins out, Hupp made one thing clear saying "it's hard to lose Matt Houchin and expect to throw the ball as much. I don't think we'll throw as much."

• ELIZABETH - Jason Hickman's second year at the helm of Wirt County has kept the Tiger boss and his assistants busy.

As the orange and black continue to work hard on the field and in making changes to their future schedule, Wirt County's coaches will be in charge of running the bingo tent at the Wirt County Fair tonight.

A new twist for the Tiger players this year will begin Monday after practice as the squad will be all but isolated from everyone around them aside from their teammates and coaches.

The team "lockdown" has several planned events and former players and coaches will be brought in to talk about the tradition of Tiger football.

Wirt County's coaching staff is going to have the players stay in the school's auditorium each night until they are released from practice on Friday and leave their three-plus day team isolation/bonding retreat.