Caparaso: “Our kids believe”

Posted Sep 22, 2009 by Nick Williams

Updated Sep 22, 2009 at 02:34 PM

RIVERVIEW Now in its fourth year of existence, the Spoto football program is starting to make a name for itself.

The Spartans are 3-0 heading into Friday’s home game against Blake (0-3) and second-year head football coach Dale Caparaso said his players, and the community, are starting believe they have something special.

“I’ve never been around what I’ve been around here,” Caparaso said. “Not only is it our kids, but our school and our faculty. Mr. Spoto calls me every Sunday to tell me about our team being in the newspaper.”

Spoto is coming off a 42-0 win over East Bay and Caparaso said the surprise of this season has been his offensive line, which he admitted was the team’s weakest unit entering the season.

“Gregg Wicktor has done a fantastic job with our offensive line,” he said. “We have one guy (Jamar Burns) averaging 14 yards per game and another (Charlie Waits) averaging almost 10 yards per carry.

Caparaso won four state championships as a coach at Bellingham High in Massachusetts. He said Spoto has the same ingredients to win a title.

“Our kids had a phenomenal summer,” he said. “As soon as exams were done, we started conditioning. You can count on one hand the times our kids have walked off the field and I said we didn’t work hard. Just because we’re a four-year old school doesn’t mean we don’t have the same goal as Armwood or Plant,” he said. “What does tradition have to do with a state championship? These kids have been playing football since they were 7.”