Even for Workouts, Titans Excited to Be on Field

According to the original schedule that was generated during the 2019-20 school year, San Marino High School was slated to meet South Pasadena recently in a varsity football game that was the annual rivalry match and homecoming all rolled into one.
Instead, the Titans last week held their initial in-person practice session of the season, the first since SMHS closed its doors on the ominous date of Friday, March 13, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

About 40 students participated Oct. 12 in the training session that encompassed all four grade levels. Head football coach Justin Mesa oversaw the two separate one-hour sessions, one lasting from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and the other from 5-6:30 p.m. In accordance with Los Angeles County-ordered protocol, students were assigned to individual cohorts consisting of no more than 12 athletes. Previously, cohorts had been limited to a maximum of 10 participants, but SMHS Athletic Director David Irie said the California Interscholastic Federation increased the number a few days before the session. Students will remain in the same 12-person cohort for all workouts until regulations are relaxed.
“I thought it went great,” said Irie, who was on hand for the duration of the training sessions. “It was very well organized by Coach Mesa and his assistants. I was very impressed at how well thought out it was. There were cones and markers that reinforced social distancing, and everyone was required to wear a mask.”
Irie credited Leyda Escamilla, the school’s health clerk, for her diligence in screening all students prior to the workouts. All were previously cleared by a physician.
Girls’ volleyball began training on Monday, with basketball, cross-country, tennis and soccer slated to commence Monday, Nov. 2.
“The kids are excited to see their friends on campus,” said Irie, who noted the air of jocularity as the young people queued up prior to the training session. “Also, this was the first time that freshmen had been on campus under any circumstances.”
For Mesa, the Oct. 12 exercise offered a much-needed opportunity to get off Zoom and get on the field.
“It felt great, and yet strange and different at the same time,” said the coach, who is chomping at the bit to start his second season. “There are cones everywhere on the field, and for a sport that encourages blocking and tackling it is very different to have to stay away from one another. We had a very good turnout and it was very encouraging. It was so quick and in-and-out and because it was our first meeting, we were under time constraints. But the kids were really excited to be together. They showed up early and there was a lot of chatter and energy up until the time they left.”
Mesa will continue to use the remote method for weight training until a regular schedule can be developed.
“We want the strength component to stay online so when we are on the field we can prioritize conditioning and skill development,” Mesa said. “We want to maximize our time out on the field.”
Mesa says he has returned to the schedule that was abandoned due to the pandemic as a continuing method of motivation.
“I like to talk about where we would have been and what we would have been doing had things not changed,” he explained. “I always ask, ‘What are we doing to get better?’ Our goal is to win the Rio Hondo League, and as we are moving through the original schedule I feel it is useful to consider where we are in relationship to that goal.”
A spirit of camaraderie was prevalent for the workouts at Titan Stadium, which is used exclusively as indoor access is still forbidden.
“Returning to the field with my teammates today was an amazing first step in preparing for our football season,” said senior quarterback Andy Sutherland. “Our team has been grinding through online football for around seven months now, and to finally see everyone back on the field was truly special. It was also very exciting to see our program make a great stride toward safely playing our football season this year and gave the players much-needed hope and optimism going forward.”
Senior lineman Glover Talt agreed.
“Being on the field today was an otherworldly experience,” he said. “Starting the early stages of football in October, when the season would usually pick up as the weather cooled off, is really hard to fathom. Yet, as absurd as our situation may be, it gives me a lot of hope about returning under the Friday night lights scheduled for Jan. 8th. Furthermore, everyone gave it their all today, from the very first warmup to our final grueling bear crawl, and it felt really amazing to be out there with the other guys in my cohort.
“Staying 6 to 8 feet apart wasn’t so bad either, and after a little bit of time, working out in the mask was an easy adjustment. I can’t wait to hit the field again.”
“It felt really good to be back in practice and see my teammates,” said Jackson Herren, a senior defensive back. “It’s definitely going to take some time to get used to, but in the end I’m just glad to be back.”
Classmate Nick Derrick, a defensive stalwart a year ago, agreed.
“It feels really good to get back on the field,” said Derrick. “Finally being able to see so many of my teammates and coaches in person was great. The sense of camaraderie is back. Going back to practice as a team was worth the wait.”
Like many of his teammates, senior Jeff Conzonire has busied himself with private skill training sessions.
“In-person football practice has been exciting and very much needed among the guys on the team,” said Conzonire, a wide receiver. “Being able to safely practice with friends and coaches again is a very positive return to our football season. No matter the circumstances, preparing for our upcoming season will be an absolute blast.”
In a few weeks, running back Nick Singhal will be frantically chased by opponents up and down the field, but the senior found a few seconds to speak with the Tribune.
“Being able to go back to football practice is the best thing that has happened since the beginning of the pandemic,” he said. “My brother [Ryan, a sophomore] and I have been working very hard by ourselves, and practice starting means that it will all be worth it. I am extremely excited that I am able to see the team even though we are socially distant. It should be a good year.”
On Monday, July 20, the CIF announced its updated schedule for the 2020-21 school year that kept all previous sports but employs a two-season format that is scheduled to begin in December. The CIF’s new calendar postponed the beginning of the traditional fall season to that month, with several sports being shuffled between seasons. The revised calendar sets the last day for regional or state football playoffs as April 17, 2021. The last day for all other rescheduled fall sports will be sometime between March 20 and April 17. Winter sports, such as basketball, will be woven into spring sports, with regional or state playoffs ending June 19.
The typical athletic year contains three individual seasons, but the CIF chose to reduce the number to two and move some of the individual sports to accommodate the new arrangement. The fall season will now include football, field hockey, gymnastics, boys’ and girls’ volleyball, and boys’ and girls’ water polo.
The new spring lineup will feature baseball, softball, boys’ and girls’ basketball, badminton, boys’ and girls’ golf, boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ tennis, boys’ and girls’ swimming, boys’ and girls’ track and field and boys’ and girls’ wrestling. The spring season will begin in March.
SMHS’ first game of the fall sports season is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 19, a girls’ volleyball game pitting the Titans against Flintridge Sacred Heart. The Titans’ football season kicks off on Friday, Jan. 8, when Crescenta Valley visits at 7 p.m.