Bobcats are ready for spring

Published May 1st, 2008

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

After guiding his Boca Raton High football team to a surprising 7-3 season in his first year as head coach, Eddie Giersbrook is hoping to replace some key players as the spring football season gets underway Thursday.

Quarterback John Garrish, running back Tony Cornelius, cornerback Antonio Fenelus and wide receiver Jerry Harris are just some of the skill players Giersbrook will be missing as practice opens.

But he feels good about the players he has to fill those roles.

At quarterback, Park Vista transfer Eddie Sullivan and last year’s backup Cole McDonald will battle for the starting role.

Sullivan guided the Cobras to the third round of the state playoffs as a freshman last year, but he won’t be eligible for the spring game. McDonald has the advantage of knowing the system, and he will take most of the snaps in the Bobcats’ game May 23 against Santaluces at Olympic Heights.

“Both of them are good quarterbacks,” Giersbrook said.

At tailback, Giersbrook has three players to possibly replace Cornelius, who led the Bobcats with 718 yards rushing and nine touchdowns last year.

Among them is Willie Cyrus, who rushed for 41 yards on eight carries last season.

With Dmitri Cirillo having graduated, Boca Raton also has a hole to fill at fullback. Nick Delgatti, who took over when Cirillo was injured last year, will battle with James Baker and Canadian transfer Jason Bradley for the starting role.

To replace Fenelus, who caught 20 passes for 239 yards and a TD, and Harris, who added 12 catches for 145 yards, Giersbrook has Jeremy Retzsch, Harrison Dentson, Marcus Bersol, Sage Adler, and last year’s leading wideout, Terrell Williams, to handle the duties.

“We’re got some young wide receivers coming in that are promising,” he said.

The offensive line will be a strength, with only center Vinny Pellegrini leaving via graduation.

But the defensive line has lost three of four starters and is a source of concern as spring starts.

Last year, Giersbrook shuttled back and forth from Omni Middle, where he taught, to Boca Raton to run practice. This year, he’s on campus, and as a result he said he feels better entering this spring.

“It’s been a lot smoother because I’m on campus,” he said. “The kids know me.”

Giersbrook also knows expectations are high after last year’s strong showing, where two of the Bobcats’ losses came by a single point, with the last loss to West Boca Raton ending their chance at the playoffs.

“My expectations are just to take it one game at a time,” he said. “Our goal is to make the playoffs, but you’ve got to take it one game at a time.”

The Bobcats will practice at the softball field from Thursday-Saturday from 4-5:45 p.m., and again on May 8, 15 and 22.

The rest of the time they will practice at Hillsboro Park on 18th and Dixie.
Practice schedules and spring games for other teams in the area are as follows:
• American Heritage-Delray 3:30-5:30 p.m., scrimmage at home May 22 at 3 p.m.
• Atlantic, spring game May 22 at Ely at 7 p.m.
• West Boca Raton 4-6 p.m., no spring game
• Pope John Paul II 4-6:30 p.m., spring game May 22 vs. LaSalle 6:30 p.m.
• Spanish River 3-5:50 p.m., spring game May 30 vs. Forest Hill at 7 p.m.
• Saint Andrew’s 3:45-6 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday.
• Olympic Heights 3:30-6 p.m., Black & Gold game May 28 at home (TBD).