First Sightings
Sullivan County Football Teams Embark On Pre-Season Training In Preparation For 2010 Campaign
By RICHARD A. ROSS
SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY–With a sense of great enthusiasm and anticipation, football practice began on August 16 across the county. This year the gridiron realm expands with the inclusion of Monticello varsity football returning after a 75-year hiatus and the emergence of varsity football at Fallsburg. These two schools joined existing gridiron programs at Sullivan West, Tri-Valley, Eldred, Liberty and Livingston Manor/Roscoe as players gathered their gear and their energy for the two weeks of practice before games begin in earnest at the beginning of September.
Football practice scenes from (clockwise) Tri-Valley, Eldred, Liberty, Sullivan West, Fallsburg, Monticello, Sullivan West and Monticello.
On a two day whirlwind tour of all of the programs except LMR, this writer sought to get a first glimpse of the teams, chat briefly with coaches and a few players and shoot some pictures. Coming off a two month vacation from sports coverage and anticipating the immense task of covering all varsity sports in the vast majority of county schools that will soon begin, this seemed like a logical place to start.
Details about the football teams including personnel, schedules and reflections on where they stand as they prepare to embark on their 2010 campaigns are not the subject of this piece. Consider it more of a first look as the focus in the first few days was mostly on conditioning and basic skills.
On August 28 local teams will participate in various multi-team scrimmages. Tri-Valley and LMR will visit Liberty at 10:00 in the morning while Sullivan West and Eldred will have at it in Port Jervis at 7:00pm that same night.
Monticello will engage Valley Central and Marlboro at the home of the Iron Dukes while Fallsburg looks to bang hats with the likes of Ellenville and John S. Burke Catholic in Ellenville.
Be sure to check in here at sportsisnightsny.com for expansive first week coverage of the season as Class A Monticello travels to Class B Highland, Class C Sullivan West travels to Class B New Paltz, Class C Tri-Valley visits Ellenville, Class D Eldred hosts Class D Deposit, Class C Fallsburg hosts independent Onteora and Class D LMR travels to Class D Harpursville. Having not solved the problem of trying to be in more than one place at the same time, it is obvious that I won’t be in attendance at all of the aforementioned games. However, during the course of the season I will be on the sidelines to cover all of the county teams.
Stay tuned.
For an album of photos from preseason football CLICK HERE: http://richwriter.dotphoto.com/CPListAlbums.asp
DEAL OF THE CENTURY!
