ORANGE — The Mahar Regional High School football program held its third practice of the 2018 season on Monday afternoon. With the third practice in the books meant the third practice down for new/old Mahar head coach Jim Woodward.
Woodward returned to the program for the 2018 season, last coaching in 2011. Woodward was the head coach for 30 years, making five super bowl appearances and winning three.
“First day out here, I was exhausted, holy mackerel, but, no, it’s been good,” said Woodward. “My mind and I wake up at 2 in the morning and my mind is going 100 miles per hour, thinking what I’m going to do today. It’s good. I’m excited. I feel good about it.”
Although the numbers are not set until the first game of the season, the Senators haves six freshman joining the program and four players that did not previously play but joined this season.
“I’ve got probably 10 new kids,” said Woodward. “We don’t have great numbers, a little disappointed in the numbers, but maybe we will get a few more when school starts and the kids that are here are working hard. I told them after practice on Saturday, I’m not disappointed, you’re giving me an effort and that’s all I can ask for.”
The team’s most notable departure is Sam Paul, who quarterbacked the team for the last three years after stepping toward the end of the season during his freshman year. Paul threw for 1,067 yards along with nine touchdowns and a 46 percent pass completion rate. He ran for another 426 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Senators have been practicing three quarterbacks in preparation to replace Paul. Jacob Tenney, Noaha Chabot and Ayden Sevigny have all practiced at the position through the first three practices. All three are sophomores.
“We’ve got three kids working there,” said Woodward. “Right now it’s a toss-up. We’ll see.”
The team has been practicing at the line to begin its season and will move into working with the defense at the end of each practice and as the week progresses. The team has a scrimmage scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. against Murdock High School in Orange. The team will begin with pads on Tuesday and then figure out who to place on the first and second team for Saturday’s scrimmage.
“We’ll figure out then who wants to hit and who just wants to bump bellies, you know,” said Woodward. “It’s tough to tell right now without any equipment on. But like I said, the effort is there and they’re hustling and that’s all I can ask for.”