Editor鈥檚 note: As part of a 10-day project, the Star is looking back at the 2019 season, and asking five big questions about the fall. Today鈥檚 question: Can Salpointe Catholic鈥檚 new coach continue what Dennis Bene started?
Eric Rogers took a moment to consider the question. What, he was asked, is the toughest part about being forced to stay away from the football field during the coronavirus shutdown?
鈥淭his is going to sound funny,鈥 he said.
The longtime Salpointe Catholic assistant, now the head coach of the Lancers, said there鈥檚 one thing he misses the most.
鈥淚鈥檓 a hugger,鈥 Rogers said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the hardest part for me, being apart. Usually, I can鈥檛 wait to give the kids a big hug and tell them how much I love them.鈥
The 蜜柚直播 Interscholastic Association has canceled the spring sports season, including spring football practice, and schools across the state have moved to online instruction for the rest of the school year.
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Salpointe Catholic is no exception, meaning Rogers 鈥 who was named Dennie Bene鈥檚 successor three months ago 鈥 must wait.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the scary part, is it鈥檚 the unknown,鈥 Rogers said. 鈥淎nd so you just don鈥檛 have any answers.鈥
In every game Rogers has played or coached, there has been a playbook. But the coronavirus pandemic is an untimely obstacle that鈥檚 thrown a momentary wrench into Rogers鈥 pursuit of leading Salpointe back to the playoffs and capturing a fifth consecutive regional championship. Bene went 184-44 over 19 seasons before stepping down at the end of last season. Rogers is no rookie to the Lancer Way, having spent considerable time in the program with three different stints as an assistant dating back to 2000.
The Lancers鈥 new coach is relying on Zoom calls, FaceTime chats and text messages to run online practices and establish his culture.
Every Salpointe Catholic student is equipped with a Google Chromebook, meaning Rogers is able to have virtual face-to-face interaction with his players every day. He sends weekly workouts for them to do at home, has been a good short-term solution.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like we鈥檙e throwing high-fives to each other and looking each other in the eye and talking,鈥 he said.
The rest of the coaching staff meets with each position group at certain times of the day to create some structure.
鈥淕et up, hit the day, get it full speed and have a routine,鈥 Rogers said. 鈥淚 tell them in whatever schedule fits: get their workouts in, do their homework and spend time with their families. That鈥檚 really important right now, too.鈥
Eric Rogers has been running the Lancers鈥 football program remotely during the coronavirus shutdown. 鈥淒on鈥檛 hit the snooze button,鈥 he says.
Isolation for high schoolers can take a toll mentally, which is why Rogers is stressing the importance of teamwork 鈥 just at a distance.
鈥淗ave a buddy as someone you鈥檙e communicating with regularly so that we鈥檙e all on the same page or looking out for each other having each other鈥檚 backs,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 trying to find a way to create as much culture and team as you can.鈥
What鈥檚 he telling his team?
鈥淒on鈥檛 hit the snooze button,鈥 he said.
The coaching change is one of just many facing Salpointe this fall. The 2020 senior class, which produced some of the best talent the program has ever seen, will be off to college. Running back Bijan Robinson signed with Texas, cornerback Lathan Ransom is headed to Ohio State and offensive lineman Bruno Fina will play at UCLA. Offensive tackle Jonah Miller, one of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 best remaining college prospects, has transferred to Sahuaro.
Those departures, along with the absence of Bene, suggest the Lancers are headed for a drop-off this fall. The Lancers鈥 new coach isn鈥檛 buying it.
鈥淟osing them doesn鈥檛 mean that we can鈥檛 accomplish all of those big things that we set out to do, and I鈥檝e talked to the kids about that a lot,鈥漅ogers said.
Those 鈥渂ig things鈥 Rogers refers to include 鈥 but are in no way limited to 鈥 winning the Lancers鈥 region, getting back in the Open Division playoffs and going to the state championship game. Salpointe Catholic still has plenty of capable talent, including a quarterback-running back tandem of junior Treyson Bourguet and senior David Cordero that figures to be among the best in 蜜柚直播.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been in a great position many, many years to get ourselves into the playoffs. That doesn鈥檛 have to change,鈥 he said.
No one knows yet if the upcoming high school football season will go on as scheduled, but Rogers and his staff are trying to stay positive.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to come out stronger on the other side,鈥 he said.
It won鈥檛 be long until Rogers can give his next bear hug.
