Idle football players use teamwork to help community

A post by Braden River High football coach Curt Bradley on the team's Facebook page changed senior offensive lineman Brendan Bengtsson's plans on Sept. 12.

Bradley suggested his players might find ways to help after Hurricane Irma had left many local residents with damage.

So instead of enjoying the rare chance to sleep late with Manatee County schools closed through Sept. 18, , Bengtsson awoke early and went to Bayside Community Church.

Bengtsson was one of approximately 30 Pirates who accepted Bradley's offer of finding a community service project. It wasn't a demand from Bradley, Bengtsson said. It was a suggestion, one he is proud he took.

The group from Bayside made its first stop at the il Villaggio retirement community, where they were given golf carts and trailers. They went into back yards, helping the residents rake, pick up sticks and clear any large logs. The group then went to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch north of State Road 64.

"There were a lot of trees down out there, a lot of pines," Bengtsson said. "Those things catch wind pretty easily. Two of the trees we had to literally pick up by hand. It took all of us to be able to move them. We slid them out of the roadway so people could drive." 

The experience helped the senior put things into perspective. 

"It made me feel good," he said. "I know we can make a difference by helping out the community. A lot of people take it for granted. They don't realize some people actually do need help, and these are people (older generations) who have helped us. Like, you weren't even born yet, but these people helped us establish things, things that we probably don't even know about that made a huge difference. I'm glad we had a chance to pay them back and give them help."

It was a week of reflection for the lineman, but he's now ready to return to his passion. Football coaches were not allowed to organize any type of team practice last week, making the season more difficult to navigate for programs. Bradley said he did not want his players thinking about football during the post-Irma week.

"Football will take care of itself once we start back up," Bradley said. "We’ll have to get ready for games, but also get kids back in shape.”

After missing five typical practice days and two game days, Bengtsson said he could not wait to practice, a rare thing to hear from a high school football player.

Braden River wasn't alone. 

At Lakewood Ranch High, football coach Mick Koczersut had to deal with an unusual problem since coaches were not allowed to communicate with their players. Koczersut’s son, Mickey Koczersut, is a senior on the team. The coach said he abided by the rules and did not give his son any instructions to relay to his teammates.

His Mustangs, however, knew they needed to work. Senior quarterback Justin Curtis said more than 20 players attended a conditioning workout on the basketball courts next to the high school. They put it together with group text messages.

They didn’t run drills, but they worked to shake off rust from their downtime.

Then smaller groups would gather at the gym or would go for runs. Curtis and a few wide receivers met on the morning of Sept. 17 to throw passes and run routes. It has been weird to not have practice each afternoon, Curtis said, but he also has found ways to help his community, cutting down trees for people in Manatee and Sarasota County.

There has been time for some relaxation, too. Curtis and a few teammates, including seniors Noah Ben-Ghuzzi, Drew Butler, Michael Cook and Mason Fischer, have been fishing, especially on North Jetty Beach in Nokomis.

Football isn't the only affected sport. Braden River volleyball coach Matthew McElhiney said his players have had their schedules disrupted, though not as severely. In anticipation of the storm, McElhiney told his players to do as much individual work as possible while at home.

“I said, ‘Go out, jog a little bit,’” he said. “‘Lift if you have the ability to lift. Go bump a ball. Just do something athletic.’ You sit for 12 days, I don’t care what sport you are playing, that is a long time.”

McElhiney said he is thankful Braden River’s schedule is set in a way that allows for easing into a routine. They do not play until Sept. 21 against Cardinal Mooney, giving them three days to condition. McElhiney said those days would consist of more fundamental drills than normal, to offset the downtime.

He also said his senior class has been playing beach volleyball together. He’s not worried about his own team, but he feels for the football coaches.