FeedsNew coach readies Zebras for ‘08 season
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New Wayne head coach Kevin Weber (center) times a drill during the first week of practice.“It’s a whole new team and a whole new way of life here,” said Nick Kostora.
It was at a practice last week, and the senior quarterback referred to the new regime and new era of football at Wayne Memorial High School.
The program was completely overhauled from top to bottom this year, starting with a new head coach—Kevin Weber—who was the head junior varsity coach last year. Weber changed the defense from a 5-2 to a 4-4 scheme and the offense to a spread option system.
“The option spread is a better fit for our kids,” Weber said. “We don’t get 220-pound linemen, we get 280-pound linemen that should be 220 pounds. Or we get 180-pound kids that think they’re running backs because they’re not 220 pounds. But lines can play on the line in this kind of system.”
The result is a lightning fast line that can get off the ball quick and win the line of scrimmage.
“Whoever wins the line, wins the game,” Weber added.
The new offense has created excitement among the ranks and garnered praise among the players.
“We have to adjust to the personnel that we have,” Kostora said. “I’m personally happy about it. The Veer offense is going to be great for us and I think we are going to be very successful with it. We have great tailbacks. Our backfield is going to be great for us and if we need to we have the weapons at receiver to really execute.”
Kostora, senior running back Richard Haley and senior wide receiver C.J. Johnson are three of those crucial weapons in the revamped offense.
The rest of the jobs and positions are either run by committee, including running back and linebacker, or up in the air still, according to Weber.
Senior lineman Eric Story is back this year, anchoring both lines at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds.
“The offense is going to do amazing,” Story said. “It’s looking really good. It looks good on paper and when we do it, it looks great. I think we’re going to be really good on defense, too.”
Senior Jesse Dorow offers the Zebras something they haven’t had in several years—a kicking game. Dorow quit soccer to play football and was ripping extra points and field goals of varying lengths through the uprights during practice on Friday. The 6-foot-3 kicker will also see some time at wide receiver, Weber said.
The biggest addition to Zebra camp was the term brotherhood—the team’s new motto.
“This is the first time that I’ve been here that we’ve actually come together,” Story said. “Everybody has been real close, like brothers, that’s why “brotherhood” is our motto. Everyone has been motivating each other positively and it’s amazing to watch because it’s never happened in my football experience. I have 100 percent confidence in Coach Weber.”
That confidence and brotherhood will have to go a long way with a tough schedule ahead of the Zebras.
When the Western Lakes Activities Association (WLAA) merged with the Kensington Valley Conference (KVC) to form a 24-team mega league Kensington Lakes Activities Association (KLAA) it shoved Wayne into the South Division of the Kensington Conference against Livonia Churchill, Livonia Franklin, Plymouth, Canton and rival Westland John Glenn.
No game sticks out more than week seven against the Rockets for the City Championship. The rivalry ended on a bad note last year and Weber hopes to right it.
“I’m actually looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun game and a big game for both schools. My hope is to bring the trophy back and my hope is to bring the trophy back in the right way. And that’s a big thing. We want to make sure that it’s a hard fought game and that when it’s all said and done that things are done right, winning or losing.”
“It left a bad taste in my mouth and anybody else’s mouth who was there,” added Story. “It’s just like any other team. We’re going to go out there and do our job and do what we have to do to beat them. They’re just another name on the list.”
The Zebras start the season on the road against a non-division, KLAA opponent Waterford Kettering at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28 with their home opener scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday Sept. 5 against Waterford Mott.
“The expectations for us are to go out there every Friday night and win every time we step on the field,” Kostora said.
