QUEEN CITY QUAD TIDBITS and STORIES
Another Quad in the books, our 13th production. What makes 13 years worthwhile is the fact that through pure repetition the 4-team scrimmage kind of runs itself now. Every coach noted that we have this down to a science. Because of that both St. Frances and Clarkson North (Canada) both have asked to be included again next year. This was Queen Anne's second year attending in a row.
Conversations with St. Frances coaches were wonderful to hear. I received a text from Fort Hill AD Roy Devore earlier in the week and it said to please call Coach Mack at St. Frances. I’m like, who is Coach Mack? I had been dealing with another coach there to set them up at the Quad. So I call Coach Mack and it turns out to be Coach Kevin Mcleod, who was the head coach at Silver Oak for the ten years both FH and Allegany played them with games I lined up. Needless to say, I have a very respectful relationship with Coach Mcleod. His work at Silver Oak...well let's say you had to walk a day in his shoes to truly appreciate what he did for troubled kids. Coach Mcleod wore ten different hats with football head coach and Athletic Director some of his easier jobs. Well Coach Mcleod retired just over a year ago, got bored and found his way to Baltimore to help coach this St. Frances Varsity squad.
For the record, St. Frances does have two teams of which they refer to as the "National Team" and the "Varsity Team". Most people refer to them as A and B team. It's the Varsity Level (B Team) that comes to the Quad with mostly all underclassmen. Their National team is currently ranked #3 in the nation according to the MaxPreps Top 25 poll.
On that note...the National Team head coach was at the Quad to see his younger ballers. His name is Coach Messay Hailemariam. He likes to be called Coach Messay. Ethiopian born; he has a knack for helping a long line of African players make it in the states playing ball. Coach Messay told me this National Team might be the best team St. Frances has ever fielded in its short history. He told me with a smile that the game at the University of Maryland in College Park mid-November against IMG Academy will be for the National Championship. Maybe some other schools from California might say otherwise though.
Coach Messay also bought with him to Cumberland some of his National Team players. They were in street clothes on the sidelines...6'8, 6'9, 6'5 all on very boyish young faces. Coach Messay tells me, "6'2 and 6'4 are too small now", as he says with a wink. Truth is St. Frances loves it here in the confines Greenway. They continually beg me for FH to play this Varsity B team in the regular season. They tell me they don't need any money to come here, they don't need a return game. They tell me it will be a great game in a great atmosphere. They also have a very hard time finding games for their Varsity team just only two hours away. By MPSSAA rules, any public school in Maryland can play the St. Frances Varsity. But it won't count because they have two teams. The win or loss won't count, the points won't count in the playoff system, the stats won't count...it's as if you never played the game. When I tell their coaches this they respond with, "but doesn't everyone make the playoffs in Maryland?" To which I really have no reply. If it were only that simple.
After watching FH do battle in the Quad with this St. Frances Varsity team the past two years, I believe a real game would be as intriguing as it is close. The Panthers have some big bodies. Even more amazing is the fact 23 of them were freshmen, 7 sophomores and 3 juniors.
Speaking of young players, Clarkson North (the team from Canada), they too brought their JV team to the Quad. Not their National Team. The smallish running back they had (#3) was dazzling. Um yea, he is 13 years old. If he lived in South Cumberland he would play for the Patriots. So too was their big linebacker only 13 years old.
On another post I mentioned how difficult the Clarkson North schedule was this year with all road games against teams including Erie Cathedral Prep, St. Ignatius, St. Edward, DeMatha, IMG Academy. This JV team at the Quad could not handle that type of schedule. Fort Hill put it on them pretty good when the Sentinels had the ball. Clarkson North did have a ton of well build specimens who will eventually become top rated college recruits. Just a little too young for now. I received a text the next day from the Clarkson North head coach asking me to please send him the game film since they brought no one to record video. After receiving it he left a nice reply. It simply said, "Thanks pal. Very Impressive squad ur red team has. Book us for next year please."
I wanted to also personally thank Chris Whiteman, who owns Progressive Physical Therapy locally, for showing up at the Quad and volunteering to be a trainer. The Canadian team asked a few days beforehand if I knew anyone who could be their team trainer for the Quad and that they were willing to pay for the service. I did find someone after putting the word out. Chris did it for free.
Thanks also to the FH cheerleaders for volunteering to help feed 250 players and coaches after the scrimmage.
On my end, none of the Quad cost the school any money. I paid for it with a small fundraiser done two years ago. We don't pay teams to come here but they at least get fed afterwards. That's the only real expense other than time and refs for two fields. The Quad is a win for FH because it guarantees a home scrimmage every season. My vision of the Quad was based on what teams needed for a preseason look. Here, you get to see multiple teams, multiple players with multiple skills and size, multiple formations and different coaching styles. On top of that your players get tested with 120 snaps. Kids are going to get a tiring workout in the heat. Coaches get to see all this in one scrimmage on one day on one field. I hope the tradition never goes away. It's good to hear the noise of pads popping with whistles and coaches screaming every third week of August in this wonderful stadium to get the season officially underway.
Another Quad in the books, our 13th production. What makes 13 years worthwhile is the fact that through pure repetition the 4-team scrimmage kind of runs itself now. Every coach noted that we have this down to a science. Because of that both St. Frances and Clarkson North (Canada) both have asked to be included again next year. This was Queen Anne's second year attending in a row.
Conversations with St. Frances coaches were wonderful to hear. I received a text from Fort Hill AD Roy Devore earlier in the week and it said to please call Coach Mack at St. Frances. I’m like, who is Coach Mack? I had been dealing with another coach there to set them up at the Quad. So I call Coach Mack and it turns out to be Coach Kevin Mcleod, who was the head coach at Silver Oak for the ten years both FH and Allegany played them with games I lined up. Needless to say, I have a very respectful relationship with Coach Mcleod. His work at Silver Oak...well let's say you had to walk a day in his shoes to truly appreciate what he did for troubled kids. Coach Mcleod wore ten different hats with football head coach and Athletic Director some of his easier jobs. Well Coach Mcleod retired just over a year ago, got bored and found his way to Baltimore to help coach this St. Frances Varsity squad.
For the record, St. Frances does have two teams of which they refer to as the "National Team" and the "Varsity Team". Most people refer to them as A and B team. It's the Varsity Level (B Team) that comes to the Quad with mostly all underclassmen. Their National team is currently ranked #3 in the nation according to the MaxPreps Top 25 poll.
On that note...the National Team head coach was at the Quad to see his younger ballers. His name is Coach Messay Hailemariam. He likes to be called Coach Messay. Ethiopian born; he has a knack for helping a long line of African players make it in the states playing ball. Coach Messay told me this National Team might be the best team St. Frances has ever fielded in its short history. He told me with a smile that the game at the University of Maryland in College Park mid-November against IMG Academy will be for the National Championship. Maybe some other schools from California might say otherwise though.
Coach Messay also bought with him to Cumberland some of his National Team players. They were in street clothes on the sidelines...6'8, 6'9, 6'5 all on very boyish young faces. Coach Messay tells me, "6'2 and 6'4 are too small now", as he says with a wink. Truth is St. Frances loves it here in the confines Greenway. They continually beg me for FH to play this Varsity B team in the regular season. They tell me they don't need any money to come here, they don't need a return game. They tell me it will be a great game in a great atmosphere. They also have a very hard time finding games for their Varsity team just only two hours away. By MPSSAA rules, any public school in Maryland can play the St. Frances Varsity. But it won't count because they have two teams. The win or loss won't count, the points won't count in the playoff system, the stats won't count...it's as if you never played the game. When I tell their coaches this they respond with, "but doesn't everyone make the playoffs in Maryland?" To which I really have no reply. If it were only that simple.
After watching FH do battle in the Quad with this St. Frances Varsity team the past two years, I believe a real game would be as intriguing as it is close. The Panthers have some big bodies. Even more amazing is the fact 23 of them were freshmen, 7 sophomores and 3 juniors.
Speaking of young players, Clarkson North (the team from Canada), they too brought their JV team to the Quad. Not their National Team. The smallish running back they had (#3) was dazzling. Um yea, he is 13 years old. If he lived in South Cumberland he would play for the Patriots. So too was their big linebacker only 13 years old.
On another post I mentioned how difficult the Clarkson North schedule was this year with all road games against teams including Erie Cathedral Prep, St. Ignatius, St. Edward, DeMatha, IMG Academy. This JV team at the Quad could not handle that type of schedule. Fort Hill put it on them pretty good when the Sentinels had the ball. Clarkson North did have a ton of well build specimens who will eventually become top rated college recruits. Just a little too young for now. I received a text the next day from the Clarkson North head coach asking me to please send him the game film since they brought no one to record video. After receiving it he left a nice reply. It simply said, "Thanks pal. Very Impressive squad ur red team has. Book us for next year please."
I wanted to also personally thank Chris Whiteman, who owns Progressive Physical Therapy locally, for showing up at the Quad and volunteering to be a trainer. The Canadian team asked a few days beforehand if I knew anyone who could be their team trainer for the Quad and that they were willing to pay for the service. I did find someone after putting the word out. Chris did it for free.
Thanks also to the FH cheerleaders for volunteering to help feed 250 players and coaches after the scrimmage.
On my end, none of the Quad cost the school any money. I paid for it with a small fundraiser done two years ago. We don't pay teams to come here but they at least get fed afterwards. That's the only real expense other than time and refs for two fields. The Quad is a win for FH because it guarantees a home scrimmage every season. My vision of the Quad was based on what teams needed for a preseason look. Here, you get to see multiple teams, multiple players with multiple skills and size, multiple formations and different coaching styles. On top of that your players get tested with 120 snaps. Kids are going to get a tiring workout in the heat. Coaches get to see all this in one scrimmage on one day on one field. I hope the tradition never goes away. It's good to hear the noise of pads popping with whistles and coaches screaming every third week of August in this wonderful stadium to get the season officially underway.
