Porters football light on players to start season

Monday morning was near perfect for the various sports teams in their pre-season practices at Greenport High School.

The football, boys soccer, girls volleyball and field hockey squads trained in temperatures of 71 degrees with some humidity.

It was, however, far from perfect for the Greenport/Southold/Mattituck football team.

Only 10 players attended the morning session as the Porters continued their preparation for their Sept. 12 season opener against Port Jefferson.

“We are on life support right now,” head coach Tim McArdle said after practice. “We’re pushing hard. We’re trying to get the most of the kids that are here. But it’s challenging. We are hopeful that it will turn around in the next week or two.”

Teams need a minimum of 11 players to field a side but will need more due to injuries suffered during a season.

“The attendance at practice has been low. We’re hoping to get more kids every day,” McArdle said. “Some days we have up to 15 to 16, kids. Some days we have eight kids. The dedication level hasn’t been great. We’re hoping that that starts turning around over the next week or two, so we can get ready for our first game in two and a half weeks. But the kids out here practicing, they do a good job.”

The low turnout is more than a bit confounding, considering the Porters (4-5) qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Fans filled up at Dorrie Jackson Memorial Field stands at their four home games.

“Last year was a great year, but the problem is last year was last year,” McArdle said. “This year is this year. We have some kids that have returned. We have some kids that decided to go different ways. That’s just the reality of the situation. Kids can make choices, and some of them choose to play soccer or basketball or other things. We got some new kids coming out, too. Now we’re trying to kind of pick up our bootstraps and get everyone here. 

“It’s definitely frustrating. We take a lot of pride in what we do here,” McArdle continued. “Last year the bleachers were packed for every home game. We made the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. The kids loved it. It was a great experience for everyone. This year, it’s got a little bit of a different feeling to it.”

The players who showed up received some unique one-on-one training from the coaches. The drills included individual sessions for quarterbacks, running backs and linemen.

“The kids that are here work hard every day,” McArdle said. “Today was a humid day. We’ve had really cool weather. So, getting used to the heat is still something that we’re going through. They’re sweating. They’re getting lots of reps, which is something we’re not used to. Kids taking a rep, taking 10 seconds off, and getting another rep. This is what happens when we have small numbers.”

McArdle hoped that when school starts more players will join the team. Players need 10 practices to compete.

“If we do get kids here by Sept. 1, they could be ready for our first game,” he said. “Would they be as prepared as they should be? The answer is no. We put a lot of hard work in, during two days last week, two practices a day. The kids are here for six hours a day practicing. They’re getting conditioned. They’re getting their heart rate up, they’re getting stronger. It might help our program keep a team. It might help us field a team. It doesn’t equate to a quality team.”

Two players who are expected to be team leaders were hopeful Greenport will have a successful season.

“I think once school starts, people will start coming to practice more,” senior wide receiver and corner back Ryder Antonucci said. “We’ll get more guys in here. You only need 11. We’re just going to make do with what we have. It’s going to work out.”

Junior guard and defensive end Emmett Tramontana, who finished 13th in the discus at the state track and field championship in June, also was optimistic.

“It’s going to be tough,” he said. “Ironman football out there. But we’re going to do it. I’m going to stick to it, work hard. Games only are 48 minutes. That’s not that long. As long as you just put your head down and grind through the game, you’re going to win.”

McArdle, who enters his fifth season as head coach, was realistic.

“Our goal is to field a competitive football team,” he said. “It would be a lofty goal to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to be back in the playoffs.’ We want to field a team that develops young men into adults. We want to field a team that puts a product on the field that looks respectable, and we want to give the kids a positive experience.”