A 28-7 loss to the Notre Dame Jugglers in the junior varsity quarter-finals Thursday may have ended the football season at Centennial secondary, but it hasn’t diminished hope for a brighter future for the sport at the school.
Dino Geremia, who was charged last spring with rebuilding Centennial’s football program after the senior team endured two winless seasons, said despite a third straight fall without a victory for the varsity team, there are signs the ball is headed in the right direction with the junior team reaching the quarter-finals.
“In many respects, the foundation with the JV team is more valuable in the building of our program and developing positive team habits,” he said.
Geremia said the team’s 35-6 win over Carson Graham in a wild card game Nov. 7 showed his young charges what’s possible after a regular season in which it won three times and lost once. The key will be carrying that momentum forward with Grade 10 and 11 players graduating to play on the senior team next season.
“The greatest challenge is ensuring that everyone understands that it takes more work,” he said. “We need to establish that attitude of extra work and extra discipline.”
Geremia said shifting the culture of a football program is a slow, laborious process that even extends to the coaching staff who have to ensure practices start on time, they’ve properly prepared by reviewing game films and they keep the tempo on the field high.
“It takes more effort,” he said. “We have been adamant in emphasizing that all we do is program related and that we will do things best for the program.”
