Senior quarterback Nico Vasko mimicked a hand-off to the running back – plays must be run without a football at this point – at one of Westview football’s first practices back on the field after a mandated break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Players and coaches donned masks the entire practice, even during plays on the field. Such abnormalities are suddenly not-so-abnormal for the Knights. Westview was still in phase one of the Tolleson Union High School District’s multi-faceted plan to re-start athletics, and was back on the field weeks after some of Arizona’s other schools.
Strange as the circumstances are, and unsure what the future holds for the season, players at the Avondale school are just happy to be on the grass.
“It’s very exciting to be back with everyone. It’s weird with the way we have to do everything, but we want to turn things around from the way last season ended, and starting with doing anything is better than not doing anything,” Vasko said.
The on-field efforts are steps toward rewriting the script after a disappointing 2019 season.
A team full of talent but also young and inexperienced, Westview went just 4-6 and fell in two region games for the first time in Gehrts’ time with the program. With some bumps smoothed out, and many returning players on both sides of the ball, the team believes it can rebound and have a breakout year.
Many of the players have metaphorical chips on their shoulder. As Vasko puts it, the returners want ‘revenge.’
The staff could see that reaction immediately after the 2019 season ended.
“They were anxious and wanted to start coming out to lift and get better right away. We did a lot of zoom calls and meetings with a virtual spring football. We just had to do what we could,” Gehrts said.
In the weeks of virtual spring football, coaches sent home workouts and plays to study to players. Gehrts said he was impressed with some players’ work ethic despite unusual circumstances.
Some went beyond even the recommendations of the coaching staff. Team leaders have recruited their fellow players to participate in independent training events, such as 7-on-7 passing tournaments or running the offense together with small groups a local park, completely without the input of coaches. Gehrts said that often he only hears about the meetings after they take place.
The returning starters attribute the extra work as a boost in overall morale.
“It shows that we’re dedicated to getting better and trying to put last year behind us,” Vasko said. “You need the guys that are willing to go further and put that time in.”
While COVID-19 numbers continue to climb in Arizon and the Knights, like every team in the state, have received little information as to the future of the high school football season, the team is hopeful it can take the field on Friday nights and capture success.
For now, Westview is simply continuing to work out, hope, and look to capture what state of normalcy it can.
“You just try to control what you can control and we’re glad to be back,” Gehrts said.
