LJ FB: Family Day

Rising junior Abdul Sinjab is wide open for a

reception in passing plays against live defense

toward the close of workouts Sat.

(Photos by Ed Piper, Jr.)

By Ed Piper, Jr.

"I can't believe the atmosphere," said Robert Belnap's father, an attendee with his wife at the first Family Day for the La Jolla High football program Sat., June 3, put on in, on, touring, and in front of the beautiful athletic facilities hugging the western edge of the Edwards Stadium turf, appropriately painted in Viking colors.

Mr. Belnap pretty much summed the morning up, in which 20 eighth-graders--the core of next fall's Class of 2021 freshman team--met the coaches and got to take some heaves from projected JV quarterback Carlos Ramirez on the field. On the other end, parents like the Belnaps, who had their effervescent redheaded toddler, Robert's sibling, in tow, got to walk through Ryan Lennard's sparkling weight room and hear from him on the strength and conditioning program's undergirding and tie into the football program.

Just before a catered pulled pork sandwich barbecue, they got to hear from the new head man himself, Tyler Roach, the former Centurion, of late of La Jolla Country Day's defensive unit, returned to the La Jolla High gridiron where he helped direct the record-setting spread offense of quarterback Collin Rugg and receivers Carlton O'Neal, Brandon Bonham, and Trenton Fudge.

Roach, in front of a ginormous TV monitor in the Viking team room, spoke well and enlightened the supportive attending parents about the program's expectations, dates for physicals, and other things as he continues to provide a forward-looking face for the program after so much change over the past year and a half.

The varsity and junior varsity players anchored the three-hour morning program by undergoing a full workout, which they might have had the day before, on Friday, if it had not been a half day of school. Johnathan Jay O'Neal, Carlton's brother, as well as Daniel Souza, Sola Hope, and other returners and likely leaders of this fall's first battle contingent of now-Head Coach Roach went through their paces. They seemed especially spirited, having donned sharp-looking practice jerseys with a new design, and defenders fought receivers for passes thrown near the post by Carsten Fehlan and Trevor Scully, as well as a rehabbing Kenny Hayden, now off crutches, with throws by Ramirez, the rising sophomore, sprinkled in.

New Viking Head Coach Tyler Roach (black

hat visible in upper left, above red Nike cap)

holds forth with parents during first annual

Family Day.

But Mr. Belnap had it right: Never before have guests of the program been greeted by such impressive facilities, occupying space that only two years ago was a recovering pile of dirt where temporary visitors stands were brought in each fall and assembled, only to be torn down at the end of the season and dragged away. On the ample breadth of bare dirt spanning the visitors side of the field, a reporter/photographer would pull his truck in and park right next to the temporary stands to haul his equipment the shortest possible distance to the field.

Then, only nine months ago, former coach Matt Morrison's players were still working out of storage containers on the Muirlands Middle School campus.

All of this has been transformed, by the completion of the new digs, which opened as portions were completed beginning at the end of August 2016. Now, the new coaches office has two primo large screens Roach and his staff can review video on. (He showed some clips to his varsity/JV players before they took the practice field Saturday.) Helmets are neatly arranged on the walls of the same room.

The new spin room (with stationary cycles) is in full display at the end of the same building. What the alignment of buildings affords, that couldn't occur before, is everyone grouped in the same area and within eyesight and earshot of one another. The layout is conducive to getting the necessary work done. La Jolla footballers can now show off their facilities to kids and parents who are considering coming to the school, not known for football but certainly trying with this effort.

"You don't have to go to St. Augustine to be great," said Leslie Roach, the head coach's wife, shepherding little Marshall, active and sitting in Daddy's chair, not with rancor. She is a former Scripps Ranch Falcon, so she has made the switch to support her hubby in his new program. "This is his passion," the friendly, outgoing esposa said to some newly-made friends, when she was told he was holding forth very effectively before the parents in the team room.

"He is into so much more than the athlete just being a football player," Leslie Roach said. "He wants each one to grow as a person, to have good character, to be a good citizen, all of those things.