- November 24, 2024
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With two full weeks of practice nearly complete, Drew Lascari is pleased with how far Cardinal Mooney has come in such a short period of time.
But as Cardinal Mooney prepares for arguably its toughest schedule in school history, the Cougars' first-year head coach knows there’s plenty of work that still needs to be done.
After spending five years as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at national powerhouse Don Bosco Prep, in New Jersey, where he saw the Ironmen win a national title in 2011, Lascari was named Cardinal Mooney’s new head coach at the end of May. Lascari replaces former coach Josh Smithers, who stepped down after seven seasons at the helm.
Without the benefit of being on campus for spring football, Lascari spent the summer playing catch up. Cardinal Mooney athletes spent four days a week together getting stronger in the weight room and tackling the playbook in preparation for the upcoming season.
It’s a new system and a new culture, but it’s one the Cougars have fully embraced.
“I love him,” senior lineman Eric Orsini says of Lascari. “I love the intensity at practice. We don’t (have time) to feel sorry for ourselves. He’s always motivating me and my teammates.”
Cardinal Mooney finished 8-4 last season, winning its second consecutive Class 3A-District 6 championship and advancing to the regional semifinals.
The Cougars will have a new district to contend with this season after switching over to Class 3A-District 5 alongside Calvary Christian, St. Petersburg Catholic and Clearwater Central Catholic — all three of which the Cougars faced last season.
After losing three-year starting quarterback Reese Vita, who holds the school’s all-time passing record, to graduation, the Cougars will rely on their skill positions to help alleviate some of the pressure off quarterbacks Tristan Hillerich and Jack Koscho.
Cardinal Mooney returns 11 seniors this season, including starting running back Jaz Mongeon, safety Alex Sobczak and tight end Jake Santiago. That leadership and familiarity with one another will be key for the Cougars this season, after six of their opponents reached the playoffs last season, including Victory Christian Academy, the Class 2A state champion.
Over the next two weeks, we’ll be going inside the huddle with five more area football teams, as they prepare for the start of the regular season, which officially kicks off Aug. 28.
This week, the Observer takes an in depth look at Cardinal Mooney and its goals for the upcoming season in its second football preview of 2015.
You’ll learn why Orsini spent 24 days living nearly 2,750 miles away from his teammates and what Lascari hoped to bring to the Cougars this offseason.
*Denotes district game
**All games start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted
Jake Santiago
Vinny Conetta
Drew Lascari, first year
What are your expectations for this team?
“I’m trying to change the culture and I’m trying to breed a program surrounded by love for your teammates and love for your coaches and vice versa. I’m a huge believer in that wins (and what you do on the field) are predicated on how much you care for your teammates.
It’s very difficult to grasp where we are going to be. This is a huge evaluation period for me, and I only probably have two weeks to do it. My expectation is just for us to get better every single day.”
What did you do in the offseason to prepare for the regular season?
“These guys were not used to working a lot in the month of July. I had them there four days a week from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day lifting and then spending time in the class room and on the field practicing. We couldn’t be in pads, but we did what we could. There was an adjustment period for them as there was for me. I’m proud of them and how they’ve worked. I’m definitely (starting) to see a change in the culture because now there are certain expectations among the players.”
This season’s schedule is arguably Cardinal Mooney’s toughest one to date. What were your initial thoughts when you saw it for the first time?
“I embrace the schedule. All I’ve heard since I’ve been here is that this is the hardest schedule in Cardinal Mooney history. I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for our football program to continue to grow and get better. I’ve always believed in playing the best and what great challenges (it presents). I see this as a great opportunity to use every tough opponent we face as a way to get better and learn about ourselves and (grow) as a team.”
What is the strength of this year’s squad?
“Our skill positions are very talented. I think that we have a great group of really five or six leaders who are high caliber guys. I think another strength of this team is their willingness to improve and do their best. We’re trying to instill in them every day that when we walk off the field we want to better than we were when we walked on. They’ve embraced that and definitely want to improve.”
With only two weeks until the season kicks off, are you about where you expected to be at this time?
“I’m a perfectionist, so I’m never going to feel that where we are is where we need to be. Ever since I (started) getting into coaching, I’ve been perfecting every day. Whether this is my first year coaching or not, I feel like we (aren’t) prepared enough, and we need to get way better than we are (right now).”
