With the high school football season fast approaching, teams from Chatfield and Fillmore Central got together for a “combine” of sorts. Coaches from the Gophers and Falcons decided to do something similar to the NFL, which tests prospects across a range of speed, strength, and agility skills prior to its draft. The idea was spawned by FC and Chatfield strength and conditioning coordinators Andrew Pederson and Steve Smith. With the teames and coaches having history with other (their pre-season scrimmage is against each other), the Summer Speed and Strength Showcase was developed. Football players grades 9-12 took part in and got timed/scored in six drills; broad jump, vertical leap, pro-agility drill (shuttle run), 40-yard dash, bench press, and squat (ala the NFL). Everything was done inside at Chatfield High School per a rainy day. The lifts were not scored by one-rep-max but rather by reps done at particular weights (135, 185, 225, 275, 315, 365). Individuals and the respective teams were thus competing against each other in a fun event. Pederson’s hope is that other area teams may want to join in the future. Rushford-Peterson has already expressed interest in doing so. This event showcased the dedication, hard work, and commitment the athletes have put into their offseason training. All football teams individually do some sort of speed, agility, and strength testing, but the combined summer showcase added a fun competitive wrinkle. Next year, there is also a plan to have the schools’ volleyball programs have a similar event, too. As for the team versus team competition, Chatfield’s top 23 scorers edged FC’s top 23 by 2,594 to 1,707 margin. The Gophers (a Class AA school) had more depth of strength, speed, and agility, with 13 kids scoring at least 100 points, while FC (a Class A school) had five do so. Individually, the teams’ top scorers were actually sophomores with Brenden Kobs leading Chatfield and Grant Daniels doing so for the Falcons.
Photo by Paul Trende
Leave a Reply