Published: 11:27 PM, Mon Jul 30, 2012
Westover ramps up intensity at Coach Greg Bryant's first football practice
Greg Bryant's first day of practice as Westover's head football coach started with some disappointments.
The most glaring was the unexpected news that the team's would-be starting guard, who moved to the Douglas Byrd district in the offseason, would not be rejoining the team despite a promise of filing paperwork to continue attending Westover for his senior year.
"He didn't even call me," Bryant said. "He called one of the other players, who then let one of the coaches know."
A second disappointment followed when a returning running back was late for the 8 a.m. call time.
"Another player said he got the call that our running back wasn't going to make it, that he had something else going on today," Bryant said. "I said, 'You tell him that if he doesn't show up, he won't play.' "
The events are signs of a problem that took root before Bryant's tenure started in February.
"Guys not showing up or showing up late was common practice here," Bryant said. "But we'll be all right. I've got confidence in these guys who came."
Returning running back Keatre Evans, who showed despite being sidelined by a high ankle sprain suffered in 7-on-7 play Thursday, said the intensity was up from last year.
"There's more people out here than last year," Evans said. "And there's more people just getting after it. Everybody's after the same thing, going hard and getting better."
- Jaclyn Shambaugh