Coach Tom Schofield talks about the upcoming football season
From the Editor
The recent “A History of Baseball in Langlade County” series has been amazing to be a part of and compose. Hearing the stories from old players and managers has given me an insight into the past of the historic pastime that has been incredible. The series will continue next week with Part IV as we look at some of the local men that made their way to the threshold of the big leagues.
In the meantime, this is also the time of the year that football season seems as though it is just around the corner but at the same time is still too far away. It is hard to be more anticipatory of anything else in sports when the return of the Red Robins, the Packers, and a college football treat such as the Wisconsin Badgers hosting the LSU Tigers at Lambeau Field looms ahead.
The Robins were successful last year under the helm of first year head coach Tom Schofield. With football fans anxiously awaiting the beginning of the 2016 season, Schofield was kind enough to provide the Antigo Times with some insight as to this summer off-season.
Q) I know we spoke about recruiting during the sign-up times, but overall how impressed were you with the numbers that turned out from earlier this summer?
A) I am very pleased with the direction our program is going number wise. Football is a true team sport that needs high participation to flourish and everybody plays a crucial role in the success of a team. From the starting lineup to the scout team at practice everyone is equally important to keep the Antigo football program strong.
Q) What kind of summer practices/conditioning have you had a chance to do?
A) We had three helmet contact days for grades 9-12 in June and plan to have 2 more in July moving to shells (helmets and shoulder pads). These practices are strictly the basics and involve a lot of fundamental work. From proper stance and alignment to simple power plays we want our athletes to know what they are doing to play with confidence.
We have a core group of players showing up three days a week to improve their strength, speed, and agility. Others work around busy summer schedules to find workout time at sport fit and the hockey rink. This is crucial for any player to reach their full potential as an athlete. We have a captain led 7 on 7 every Monday after weights and conditioning to improve our passing and pass defense. No leagues or tournaments though, we are keeping everything in house.
Q) What does the schedule look like for exhibition/scrimmage play? I know last year you had to face Rice Lake (then defending state champions) over the summertime.
A) We will again head to Wausau West for our scrimmage and play Two Rivers, Oconto, and Menominee MI for exhibition.
Q) You had some young guys step into big roles last year. How does that help carrying over as far as leadership this season?
A) We look to all of our returning varsity letter winners to help guide the team to another successful season. Every player on the team will contribute to our achievements through hard work and dedication. The staff has a few new additions to it this year with a couple volunteers and will continue to teach our players the right way to play the game safely, respectfully, and competitively.