The Pinewood High football team finished last season as champions of the Mission Trail 8-Man League with a 5-3 record, and hopes for similar success this season.
It won't come easily, though, as the Panthers lost a talented nucleus of players to graduation.
"We lost a lot of great athletes last year that helped create the tradition of Pinewood football," Panthers coach Matt Irvin said. "However we're excited to have some new guys step up into the leadership role this season and carry the torch. It's going to be an exciting, fun year with a lot of opportunities for some new guys to have a strong impact this year.
Added senior defensive tackle and offensive lineman Tudor Iovan: “The loss of players was terrible -- we lost five seniors and then two more players to other commitments. Our biggest loss was Dante Fraioli who led the team in both points and tackles for the past two years, as well as being a captain in those two years. We got Owen Lewis and Jaspaul Ghumman to play and Owen’s speed really helps out the team, as far as freshmen go only one to replace the five seniors we lost is not good, and we are looking to add to our numbers."
Players worked diligently during the summer and know there is room for improvement.
"I want to get stronger and mentally tougher, and I need to work on learning the plays,” junior two-way lineman Michael John Stevens said.
Added junior quarterback Kevin Tracy: “I’m looking to help contribute to a great year for seniors who have been committed all this time. I think that we need to work on essentially rebuilding our whole team since we lost a couple kingpins last year like Dante, John Bennett, Mikey Naumann, and other seniors."
Wrapping up on defense is a concern for Iovan.
"We need to work on our tackling, by that I mean making every tackle count. Not just hitting, and making original contact but with every tackle we bring the opposing player to the ground,” Iovan said.
One of the biggest concerns is the replacement of last year’s starting quarterback John Bennett. No starter has been picked yet, but Irvin acknowledged he likes the way Tracy has performed in practice.
“Thus far, Kevin Tracy is looking good and getting a lot of reps," Irvin said. "He has a strong arm and is starting to learn the system and become more of a leader."
Though the Panthers will miss some players from last season, some newcomers offer promise.
“It’s great to have people like Owen join the team since he’s an incredible athlete and it’s great to have him, Greg Naumann and Ali Rafie all on the team,” Tracy said.
Pinewood is optimistic heading into its Sept. 7 season opener against Anderson Valley.
“We’re going for sole ownership of the title," Irvin said. "We feel we have the right attitude, work ethic, and drive to get it done this year. We have a great group of committed kids that are excited to play football."
