Bears to kick off exciting 80th Football Season

Landon kicks off its 80^th Football season and it should be an exciting one for several reasons:

•  A new coach, its sixth in history

•  Its 80^th season

•  New uniforms???

•  An interesting schedule, and

•  A strong senior class.

Yes, BearSportsNews will be covering this fall set of games. [IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE INCLUDED FOR THE FOOTBALL POSTS, BUT STILL WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE HOCKEY AND/OR LACROSSE, PLEASE EMAIL ME sandy_murdock@yahoo.com and you’ll be retained for those games. Also, if you know folks, who would like to get the post game emails {as well as pre game previews}, please email me with their addresses.]

 A search committee and an advisory committee, which included all three of the captains, selected Paul Padalino to be the next Bear football coach. An interview with rivalsHigh indicates that he will be an excellent fit with the Landon teacher-coach-mentor model:

”Landon’s got a strong athletic and academic reputation and it seemed like a great fit. It’s in a great league with good competition. And I believe in what the school stands for in terms of working with young men, helping them develop their character and making a difference in their lives. It’s an exciting, new challenge.”

CoachPadalino brings a winning history to Landon—his Saint Christopher’s team was dominant in the mid 2000s culminating with  VISAA (State) and Virginia Prep League Championship games, St. Christopher won the prep league in 2004,he has sent several Saints’ players onto the next level, he was named Prep League Coach of the Year twice in nine yearsand he played on 3 NCAA Division III teams as a Hobart defensive back and wide receiver. The St. Christopher’s Coaches Manual includes a section  sounds like a statement of Bears’ values:

1) How to win humbly and lose graciously.

                                    2) How to compete while cooperating to achieve a common goal.

                                    3) The importance of making decisions and living with the

                                           Consequences.

                                    4) The importance of lifetime physical activity.

                                    5) The value of good sportsmanship.

The Coach has retained the Double Wing /Wing T style, that the Bears have been playing and which places premiums on precise timing and athleticism rather than bulk strength (favored by the team on Rockville Pike—my words, not PP). The defensive philosophy is well defined by the acronym ASKR – Alignment, Stance, Key, Responsibility.

Eighteen practices and scrimmages against Walt Whitman and Frederick powerhouse (2009 14-0 state champions) Linganore will prepare the boys for the 2010 schedule.

2010 schedule includes the normal IAC teams plus a Bishop McNamara team ( beat Gonzaga & StA ,and gave DeMatha a battle in ’09), Mercersburg, MIAA McDonogh, Woodberry Forest (only loss in ’09 was to the Bears) and the team from Rockville Pike (19 returning seniors, a highly touted RB and a 300# line man)

Sat, 08/28/10	10:00AM – 12:00PM	S	Home
vs.
Thu, 09/02/10	6:00 – 8:00PM	S	Away
Liganore High School
Sat, 09/11/10	2:30 – 4:30PM	Home
vs.
Fri, 09/17/10	4:00 – 6:00PM	Away
vs.	more info
Sat, 09/25/10	2:00 – 4:00PM	Away
vs.	more info
Sat, 10/02/10	1:00 – 3:00PM	Home
vs.
Fri, 10/08/10	8:00 – 10:00PM	Away
vs.	more info
Fri, 10/15/10	4:00 – 6:00PM	Home
vs.
Sat, 10/23/10	2:30 – 4:30PM	Home
vs.
Fri, 10/29/10	7:00 – 9:00PM	Away
vs.	more info
Sat, 11/06/10	2:00 – 4:00PM	Away
vs.	more info
Sat, 11/13/10 St. Albans	1:00 – 3:00PM	Home

The Bears return 21 seniors from the ’09 squad (no roster for the ’10 team is available yet). The  team will be led by three outstanding captains, all of them were All IAC last season :

• Luke Howard  (TE, OLB, 6-3, 210#),

• Max Lehrman (OL, DE, 6-2, 220#) and

•  Kellen Miller (WR, S, 6’2”, 175#).

There are talented juniors and sophomores on this team, and their contributions will be defined, in part, by their work over the summer and their own natural development.

GO BEARS!!!!

Article supported by research by Alex Povich.

(a)  the content is mine, does not reflect the opinion of Landon, Coach Padalino or anyone directly related to Landon,

(b) that any errors that may exist are mine, inadvertent and correctable (please let me know and I will make ALL corrections);

(c) that the author (me) is a huge disciple of the Landon team concept and that I will do everything that I can do to mention all the players; however, universal coverage is not really possible through this medium. If someone believes that a player or group should receive greater attention, I am open to such suggestions. I will not mention referees at any time and will limit references to the opposition.

(d) that BSN is a volunteer publication and that as the editor, publisher, statistician and writer [me], I am all too fallible and I apologize in advance for any error.

Sandy Murdock ‘65