Numbers growing at Blake

Posted Sep 3, 2009 by Nick Williams

Updated Sep 3, 2009 at 02:35 PM

When fall practice began on Aug. 10, first-year Blake coach Harry Hubbard said he had a total of 17 players show up for practice. It was the least amount of players the veteran coach has ever had to work with.

“I heard Steinbrenner had 150 on the field the first day,” Hubbard said.

But when the Yellow Jackets take the field against King tonight, Hubbard said he’ll have nearly 32 players on the roster. Although it’s an improvement, many of his players still play offense and defense given the lack of bodies.

“I told them ‘it is what it is,’” Hubbard said. “They have to be mentally tough. The mind is the strongest part of the body.”

Blake has only four seniors on its roster this season, the remaining consisting mostly of freshman and sophomores. While some may see that as a negative, Hubbard views it as a positive.

“You have a chance to mold them,” he said. “Those guys are going to be my guys.”