Loudoun Football 2008: Loudoun Valley

Vikings Seek Fresh Start With McGrath

By Paul Tenorio

Monday, August 18, 2008

Loudoun Valley Coach Danny McGrath stood squarely, his sunglasses on and arms crossed, clutching a practice sheet.

"Take a lap," he said, as the offensive and defensive linemen finished a punishing drill.

McGrath, who took over the Vikings just three weeks prior to the start of the preseason, was sending a message to his team. The team was undergoing what he called some "growing pains." And so throughout practice last Friday, the Vikings would finish a drill only to head for a full-field lap.

"Team building," McGrath said, smiling.

The purpose of the running may have been lost on players as merely punishment at the start of practice. But by the end, as groups of players jogged back to help teammates complete full-field running drills, the effectiveness of the practice was evident: The team was pulling together under the coaching staff's direction.

"It shows a lot that the coach cares, that he's behind us 100 percent," junior Bernard Thompson said. " This [practice] is a good thing. I'm glad we have a coach that will put punishment on us if we do something bad instead of just letting it slide."

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Loudoun Valley High School football team begins first day of practice. Wearing #44 is Chris Music. (Tracy A. Woodward)

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Loudoun Valley Coach Danny McGrath works with lineman Roderick Johnson on his technique. McGrath, 25, was a starting center and team captain at Virginia Tech during the 2006 season. (Tracy A. Woodward)

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Loudoun Valley High School football team runs through drills on the first day of practice. Up front wearing #44 is Chris Music. (Tracy A. Woodward)

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New Loudoun Valley football coach Danny McGrath runs through drills with his team on the Vikings' first day of practice on Aug. 5. (Tracy A. Woodward)

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Loudoun Valley Coach Danny McGrath served as an offensive line coach at Park View last season. (Tracy A. Woodward)

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While the practice may have exposed some of the pains the coaching staff face as they look to put together the team, McGrath said the difficulties that come with change are no surprise and that they have not overshadowed the progress his team has made and the talent they have on the field.

The Vikings are making strides learning the system and several players have stood out when given new opportunities at new positions, he said. Thompson moved from safety to a slot receiver and has impressed coaches, while players like seniors Onzy Elam and Sam Juzbasich and juniors Chris Daddio, Mike Charmo and Alex O'Connor have also made a name for themselves.

"The kids have taken the challenge so far with the exception of a couple of days," McGrath said. "We have a talented team that could do a lot of good things. It's just how are they going to come together. We haven't found that out yet."

The Vikings have several talented players at the skill positions and McGrath said he has moved players around to get as much of that talent on the field at once as possible.

In the slot, Thompson looks comfortable and made several big plays at practice, while in the backfield the team has some players willing to lower their shoulder in Daddio and senior Chris Music. At quarterback, the team has an open competition led by seniors Ian Mottice and Jake Cowne. Defensively, Loudoun Valley has picked up on the schemes more quickly and players like Juzbasich, Music and cousins Anthony and Kevin Wiley stood out during practice.

"We have a lot of kids fighting for positions right now," McGrath said.

For the players, the implementation of a new coaching staff has meant new opportunities, and several players expressed excitement at the opportunities they were given to showcase abilities that otherwise may have gone overlooked.

"With a fresh start, clean slate, they can take a look at you and they don’t know you [from] before," Thompson said. "I like having it easier to make an impression."

But while the team continues to progress on the field, McGrath stressed the importance for the team to find its identity.

"There have been a lot of opportunities for leaders to step up that have just been passing them by," McGrath said. "And we're looking for leaders and we're trying to teach and make these kids into leaders."

On Friday at the end of practice, as one player urged his teammates to keep working and another volunteered to lead the push-ups after the final 120-yard run, those leaders may have inched closer to stepping forward.

The team was building.

Tagged: 2008 Football Preview, football, high school sports, Loudoun Valley High School, Virginia Tech

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