Pontiac

An attitude to build on

By Mike Moore
C & G Staff Writer

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep spirits high despite 2-5 record

PONTIAC — Things haven’t gone perfectly according to plan for the Pontiac Notre Dame Prep football team. Then again, with high school sports, plans sometimes don’t last very long.

When coach Greg Ganfield arrived at the school before the season started, he saw a team with a good amount of raw talent fresh off an 8-2 record and a playoff appearance in 2007.

He also saw an unlimited amount of potential.

Then, however, he watched helplessly as injuries and other happenings decimate his team.

“We thought we were going to have a pretty decent season as far as our record is concerned, but that’s just how things happen sometimes,” Ganfield said last week with an upbeat tone. “We’ve done our best to stay positive. I give our guys a lot of credit, they’ve battled hard and played some very good teams very well.”

Seven weeks into the season, Prep held a 2-5 record. In three of those losses, it was either tied, winning or trailing by just four in the second half.

“When we play our ‘A’ game, we are very competitive,” Ganfield said. “The problem in most of our losses is the fact that we just wore down. We don’t have a ton of kids, and we don’t have a lot of size.”

The Fighting Irish are also lacking another key ingredient, experience.

Following the transfer of four starters prior to the school year, Prep entered training camp with just one returning starter, junior free safety and receiver Evan Sassack, who broke his collar bone in the preseason and has yet to play a down.

Two of the team’s other more experienced players, seniors Matt Rzepecki and Andrew Stouffer, have also missed significant time due to injuries.

This season’s woes will, however, means plenty of younger players will enter next season with a good amount of experience.

“We’re staying positive with how we work, how we practice and how we play,” said junior linebacker and guard Mike Maltese, a Rochester resident. “We didn’t expect to struggle the way we have this year, mainly because we didn’t expect to lose so many guys, but it’s given a lot of us the chance to play and to learn on the fly. That’s really going to help us next season.”

When the final whistle of 2008 sounds, as many as 17 players will have the option of returning to the team. But before the first snap of next season happens, Ganfield said things will be much different.

“There was no offseason workout program here when I arrived; the kids were kind of left to themselves to do whatever they could,” he explained. “The commitment is going to change. The work we do in the offseason is going to change. The whole attitude will be different.”

While brighter days may be in Prep’s future, of the utmost concern is the final two weeks of 2008. And not to be lost in this season is a big 22-12 victory over Detroit Loyola Sept. 27, which marked Loyola’s only loss this year.

“We have a lot to try and accomplish this season yet,” said sophomore Branch Kampe, a Rochester resident. “Guys are still getting experience. We’re still learning about all this and what it takes to be successful.”

“We’re making the most of this season, no matter what our record says,” Ganfield added.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve done and how we’ve worked. These guys come out and give everything they have. As a coach, of course you want to win more, but what else can I ask?”

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1038.