Friday Night Glory Earned by Off-Season of Work

Don't be fooled by the term off-season when it comes to high school football. Solon's countdown to kickoff can be found each day at the team's webpage, which lists the number of days, hours and minutes until the Saturday, Aug. 27 contest with Shaker Heights.

Time flies when you're running a football program. The weight training days of winter turn into the speed and agility program of spring which leads into summer's instructional camps and the two-a-day practices prior to the start of the season.

In fact, the only real off-season for football is the 30-day period following the last game of the season, when no organizational activities are held. The virtual year-round schedule has now become an integral part of the game for head coaches such as the Comets' Jim McQuaide.

"This is a very competitive environment we're in," said McQuaide, whose teams have won 74 games in the past eight years, including an impressive 24-2 mark the past two seasons. "Everybody wants to get to that regional championship game and beyond that. We have to be willing to spend the time to do what we want to do."

All activities up to Aug. 1 are voluntary, but the great majority of players participate in the off-season workouts. The weight training and speed and agility drills are open to all players who are not involved in an in-season sport. In fact, the weight room is open to any athlete in the school.

"The biggest thing that has changed is the equipment," said McQuaide. "We used to work out on Nautilus machines. Now we have a huge room with a lot of different machines. And we combine the weight work with the flexibility and agility."

Off-season testing is held May 31, parent meetings are June 6 and a senior seminar is scheduled for June 9. Instruction and camps are held June 13-15, July 18-21 and July 25-26. "That's when we start to put our system in with the seven-on-seven drills," said McQuaide.

The most popular off-season activity is the team's Senior Picnic held in July. Players, parents and coaches gather for a cookout and enjoy a laid-back atmosphere far from the competitive nature of Friday nights.

"That's a great day that really sets the tone for the rest of the year," said McQuaide. The biggest thing people tell me is they can't believe how fast the time goes by."

By the time the double sessions of August roll around, players are well on their way to being prepared for kickoff. McQuaide's goal is a team with belief, passion, preparation and character for the new season.

Solon not only plays a rugged regular-season schedule that includes such teams as Shaker, Kilbourne, Akron Buchtel and Mentor, the Comets will also scrimmage St.Ignatius, Warren Harding and Brush this year.

The role of academics is another facet of the Solon football program. All players must maintain passing grades in at least five classes to be eligible for the team.

So the next time you think of Friday night lights, remember the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons that  make them possible.