Football season doesn’t start until Aug. 15, but there is a lot of work to be done, especially when it’s a first-year program.
That’s why Furness High Athletic Director Dave Connolly is laying the groundwork now. A field must be secured, coaches need to be hired and players will have to be signed-up with their physicals in by the first day of practice.
Like other first-year Public League programs, Furness will play a seven-game junior varsity schedule in 2006, with the first scheduled for Oct. 4.
"I think football will boost our school spirit and the principal has supported it," Connolly said. "I know we lost a lot of athletes to schools that do have football programs."
If everything goes well in the fall, the Falcons will become official Public League members in ’07 and play in the AAA Division with Bok.
For now, Connolly is dealing with logistics. Finding a field for practice and games is crucial. Originally, Furness planned to use Murphy Recreation Center, Fourth and Shunk streets, but a new irrigation system is being put in, making the facility unavailable for the fall. The athletic director is scouting other South Philadelphia locations and hopes to have a field secured later this month.
Coaches also need to be in place. Connolly advertised the positions within the school, but there was no interest. The jobs became available to outsiders. He met two potential candidates at a CPR class he taught. Connolly said the two are young and both have played on the college level.
"We have a chance to win with the two guys I have in mind," he said. "They have a lot of background and are energetic."
The football program will be introduced to the student body at an awards assembly and signups will be held after school. The athletic director said he is targeting between 30 to 35 players for the first year. He stressed anyone interested in playing needs to have a pre-participation physical completed by Aug. 15.
"I don’t think getting kids will be a problem," Connolly said. "We don’t want to have people who signup and quit."
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For more information on the Furness football program, contact Athletic Director Dave Connolly at 215-952-8639.
