Glen Mills

By PETE SCHNATZ

pschnatz@delcotimes.com

THORNBURY — Glen Mills always seems to have the requisite gear to put a competitive football team on the field. But this season, helmets, cleats and shoulder pads won’t suffice.

What the equipment manager really needed was an extra thick pad of “Hi, My Name Is …” stickers.

Of course, Kevin Owens has been down this road plenty of times over the last two decades — including the last 10 as head coach.

“Unlike other schools, where you might have kids from their freshman or sophomore year, (for the most part) we only have our kids for one year,” Owens said. “Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the gentlemen who came out for the team this summer didn’t play for us last year.

“Every year we build a brand new football team.”

But not all groups are as talent-laden as the previous squad, and this year’s program is basically starting from scratch thanks to a serious lack of experience.

Naje Lathan is the lone returning starter, and even though the left tackle appears to have added to his measurables (6-3, 250 pounds) from last season, he knows he will need help from newcomers on the offensive line to continue Glen Mills’ tradition of running the ball.

“It’s definitely difficult to try to bring this team to the standards we had last year,” Lathan said, referring to the 2013 squad’s undefeated run in Del Val League play and trip to the District One Class AAA title game.

According to Owens, the only other two returning Bulls saw limited action and will be asked to shoulder much more of the load this time around.

Quentin Christian, an under-sized defensive back, is expected to utilize his speed at corner while Daron Savoy is ticketed to contribute to the ground game.

“At Glen Mills we run the ball,” Owens said. “Every opponent knows that. Over the last 10 years we’ve had 2,000-yard rushers, 1,500-yard rushers. So whoever lines up at running back has to be able to carry the ball 20 to 25 times per game.”

Owens is banking on polishing some raw gems along the front line to help Lathan “move people around.” But the most important mission, according to the coach, is to find someone to run the offense who is able to grasp the game plan as well as command respect from his new acquaintances.

“Our quarterback is our cornerstone, he’s got to project leadership,” Owens said. “He’s got to go out and show his teammates he’s got confidence in them, so they’ll have confidence in him.”

When Owens says that he can’t identify standout newcomers, it is not simply coach’s speak.

Owens spent a recent practice clenching a rolled up roster in his right hand. The single sheet of paper was his lifeline, constantly scanning it for uniform numbers that would identify the nearly 100 players whose names he had not yet learned.

The coach conceded, “Let’s just say we have some potential out here that we have to work with and groom.”

The returnees had no problem remembering what ultimately spurred last year’s squad to a 9-4 record and a league championship. A 45-7 thrashing at the hands of Salesianum dropped the Bulls’ record to 2-3 and threatened to send the team spiraling.

“There wasn’t a lot of chemistry the first couple games, just a lot of people just playing their positions,” Savoy said. “It took a big embarrassing loss for us to come together as a team and a family. From that point on we won every game except the district championship.”

Christian agreed.

“That loss was tough, it’s the kind of game that stays with you forever,” Christian said. “I felt that was our turning point because our mindsets clicked — we’re Glen Mills, we can’t be losing like this.”

Owens acknowledges that slow starts are the nature of the beast for Glen Mills program — and that this season may be no different.

“It would be nice one year to come out and win the first two or three games, get on a roll and go 10-0,” the coach said. “But I know we’re going to make mistakes and I know we’re going to have some adversity. But when they work hard in practice it’s like a light comes on and they start seeing what we’re teaching them, what they can do with their athletic talent. It’s fun to watch them become whole different kids.”

Lathan has bought in, giving the Bulls a rock up front on which they can build their hopes for another successful season.

“It’s tough starting out with all new guys,” Lathan said, “but I feel that we’ll be able to come together as a family and go beyond what we did last year and go to states.”