Captains 07

For specific EMAK information check Coach Shapiro's site at http://coachshap.com/

Summer Football!

Welcome to Summer Break! I trust you are already enjoying the thought of no school and a new routine.

We have several important tasks on the calendar this month including the start of summer strength/speed training, UW Passing Tournament and UW Team Camp.

Speed & Strength Training

For what our team lacks in size we need to make up for in speed and strength. We have 9.5 weeks to dramatically improve in these areas. I have created a summer workout that focuses on building core strength, agility, and speed. Go to our teamsnap.com website and click on the “Photo & Files” link and then click on “Show File” link to download the workout. During Spring Football you learned most of these training techniques. If you don’t have a teamsnap.com account with the team, email Coach Shapiro to receive a copy of the workouts.  coachshap@coachshap.com

If our team is going to grow in strength and speed, you are expected to train a minimum of 4 days per week and jog 2 miles during your day’s off. Workout A is designed for training at a place like Woolsey with a field and weights, while Workout B is designed for workouts with limited space or weights. Use the recording sheet to record all your workouts. Players will receive one hit sticker for every 3 workouts completed. You will turn in your recording sheets at the start of football in late August

Summer Practice Schedule

09th - 12th Grade Spring Practice              Tue, 22 July, 2008             4:00 - 6:30 PM

09th - 12th Grade Spring Practice              Tue, 23 July, 2008             4:00 - 6:30 PM

09th - 12th Grade Spring Practice              Tue, 24 July, 2008             4:00 - 6:30 PM

09th - 12th Grade Spring Practice              Tue, 29 July, 2008             4:00 - 6:30 PM

09th - 12th Grade Spring Practice              Tue, 30 July, 2008             4:00 - 6:30 PM

09th - 12th Grade Spring Practice              Tue, 31 July, 2008             4:00 - 6:30 PM

Varsity Lakewood Passing Tournament  Sat, 26 July, 2008       9:00 - 9:00PM

Nowhere to go but up for King's football this fall

By Tony Dondero
Enterprise reporter

Coming off a 1-9 season, King's head coach Jim Shapiro enters his 12th fall campaign with a mostly new line and a big question mark at quarterback.

Last year the Knights implemented a spread offense with split backs under new offensive coordinator Todd Green but King's had young or inexperienced players at the skill positions. As a result, the team struggled to a winless season except for a forfeit win over Archbishop Murphy for the use of an ineligible player.

At spring workouts the first two weeks in June, Shapiro got a look at who will be on the field in the fall and he liked what he saw. The Knights know the system better and have experience on the field.

That said, the team is still young with only three seniors on varsity.

"They're young but they have a year of varsity experience," Shapiro said. "Our goals are to be competitive, help these young kids grow and go win some football games."

Filling the quarterback position will be the biggest challenge on offense and probably for the team.

Senior-to-be Jeff Mason (5-feet, 9 inches, 175 pounds) started in place of starter Kevin Tranter in the Coupeville and Archbishop Murphy games last year and figures to be a favorite to win the starting job.

"I was really happy with his leadership in that (Coupeville) game," Shapiro said.

Other contenders include sophomore-to-be Thomas Vincent (5-10, 170) and sophomore-to-be Michael McCardle (5-9, 165). All three quarterbacks are also baseball players.

Sophomore-to-be Zack Berg (6-1, 185) returns at running back with a year of varsity experience under his belt. Senior-to-be Josh Fuller, one of the top track athletes in Class 1A, played last year but hasn't decided if he will turn out this fall, Shapiro said. Fuller played running back last year. Other returners are senior-to-be John Burley (6-2, 170) and junior-to-be Nick Swanson (6-0, 165) at wide receiver.

The offensive line features four new faces. Junior-to-be Matt Chaney (6-0, 225) is the only returner at right tackle. Newcomers to the line are junior-to-be Ryker Young (6-1, 220) at center, junior-to-be Jackson Lilleness (5-10, 210) at left guard, senior-to-be Joseph Richards (6-0, 220) at left tackle and junior-to-be Paul Lutgen (6-2, 200) who has moved from tight end to right guard. The line was a strength last year with seniors Victor Swanson, Karl Frisk, Baron Quan and Jake Lyon, but Shapiro likes what he sees from his new crew.

Another newcomer is junior-to-be Sam Hauck (5-7, 160), a soccer standout, who will play running back and outside linebacker. Senior-to-be Seiya Kitchens (5-10, 180) lines up as slot receiver and sophomore-to-be Curtis Clauson (6-0, 165) moves up to play receiver on varsity.

With more experienced players who are accustomed to running the offense, the learning curve won't be as steep this year.

"It's a matter of us coaching it and the kids executing it," Shapiro said.

The defense lines up in a 3-5-3 formation, a change from a four-linebacker, four defensive back set, mainly because of the Knights lack of size, Shapiro said.

Richards plays nose tackle while Chaney and Young are up front on either side.

Lutgen, Lilleness and Berg are the interior linebackers while Hauck, Kitchens and McCardle vie for the outside positions.

The secondary consists of Swanson and Clauson at cornerback and Burley at safety.

Where King's, a 1A school in the predominately 2A Cascade Conference, will finish in the league is a big question mark. Without a doubt the league is better than when it debuted in 2004, Shapiro said.

One thing the Knights have going for them is numbers. Seventy players are on the high school roster which is 20 more than normal, Shapiro said. The junior high program has 60 kids out, an increase of 20 to 30.

"The number of kids playing at King's is increasing which is great," Shapiro said.