Photo By Cpl. Margaret Hughes | HQBN's wide receiver Darryl Viscusi, a 23-year-old Burnt Hills, N.Y., native, dives to...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- The Combat Center's Commanding General's Intramural Football Competition kicks into high gear next month and base teams are hungry for the title.
For the past two years, HQBN has taken the title for both the base and Best of the West, a championship game against the top two Marine Corps unit teams on the West Coast.
Six teams make up the base competition this year: HQBN, MCCES, 1st Tanks, 3rd CEB, VMU-1 and CLB-7.
Although HQBN seems to be the team to beat, new units are participating, and returning teams are taking a new approach this season, which may threaten the glory of the reigning champs.
Michael Hobbs, the 1st Tanks' offensive coordinator, recognized his battalion did not do well last season, but said they will be ready right out of the gate for this one.
"We are concentrating on conditioning," said the 33-year-old Carson City, Nev., native. "We are going to be stronger and we are going to put out everything we've got."
MCCES, who placed second last season, is concentrating on improving mainly defense and coverage plays, but also on better conditioning and drills, said Tu Tran, the MCCES head coach, and a 27-year-old San Diego native.
Each team has a fresh start this season, many with new players and coaches. It could be anyone's game.
"It's a new year," said Mark Geletko, the head coach and defensive coordinator for HQBN. "We are rebuilding. We lost a lot of our starters and our head coach."
Even with only eight returning starters from last season, Geletko said he is confident in his team.
"We have a lot of athletes in our battalion with experience, some with high school and even college ball under their belts," said the 49-year-old Pittsburgh native.
Coaches agree one of the key aspects for winning this season will be conditioning.
Geletko credits the team's dominance over the past two years to skill and also the strategy of holding practices in the evening that helps players acclimate to the weather.
"Most teams practice early in the morning when the day is the coolest," he said. "We practice in the evening. Even though it's hot, this is the same time the games will be played once the season starts."
Geletko said this will give his players an edge and allow them to push through in the last quarter.
As practices continue, there is no doubt that all of the teams are craving for the base title and to claim they are Best of the West.
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2009 12:34 |
| Story ID: | 36775 |
| Location: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 202 |
| Downloads: | 158 |
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