Although the high school football season doesn’t officially kick off until August, local teams have been working tirelessly over the last few weeks to prepare for the upcoming campaign. With several programs participating in passing challenges and preseason camps this month, it looks as though area squads are champing at the bit to hit the gridiron this fall.
According to Mamaroneck head coach Anthony Vitti, whose squad hosted Rye Neck, Rye, Saunders and Truman at the annual Tiger Football Camp this past week, summer practices are an integral part of the process for high school players.
“Every year, you have a different group of kids, so you want to use this to build a bit of collegiality and put in some of the concepts you’re going to be working on during the year,” Vitti said. “You want to get a feel for the different personnel and the personality of the team.”
At the Tiger Camp, teams split time between running position-based drills and light scrimmaging, and Vitti believes that flexibility gives teams a chance to test themselves against new competition while laying some of the groundwork and philosophy the team will be employing once the preseason officially starts in August.
“It’s pretty fluid. You get to see a lot of teams and we’re kind of mixing and matching as the week goes on,” he said. “As it moves along, the smaller drills become bigger drills, and because kids haven’t been tackling or blocking live in about six or seven months, it’s a good opportunity to get ready within ourselves.”
But the Tiger Camp hasn’t been the only game in town.
On June 11, Mamaroneck was one of a handful of schools to participate in the Big Apple 7 on 7 Shootout, which was held at Harrison High School. Unlike their work this week, which featured focus on line play, the Big Apple event focused on teams’ backs and receivers and allowed squads to brush up on their passing game.
“[The Big Apple] gives kids a chance just to go out and compete,” Vitti said. “And we had some great performances from some of the younger guys.”
In addition to team-oriented endeavors, there have also been events geared to individual players. On June 25, New Rochelle hosted a two-day college prep camp that offered position-specific instruction from college coaches. Although the schedule begins to relax as the season approaches, most teams will run near-daily strength and conditioning sessions, and some will even send groups of linemen to compete at skills-based challenges at the Carmel and Spring Valley high schools in late July.
“I know we’re going to be working out four days a week,” Vitti said, “but it’s really multi-sport training, open to anyone who wants to get bigger, faster and stronger.”
The Section I football season will officially open on Aug. 15.
