By OLIVIA RIPPS – Sports Editor
Head varsity football coach David Perno discusses his first year as the Clarke Central High School football coach and his work so far with the team.
Olivia Ripps: Since it is your first year coaching the football team at CCHS, how do you prepare for the season and the success of your team?
Head varsity football coach David Perno: I just use a lot of my experiences in past, whether it’s football or baseball or whatever it is, coaching is coaching. You have got to have a good rapport with your players and you have to keep your coaches and everybody on the same page. I think that is our biggest test right now. A lot of coaches, when you don’t get off to the type of start that you want, kind of panic and change course, but through my experience I know what is best for this team and we have to just stay the course to prepare for what is coming.
OR: Have there been any unexpected events so far this season? If so, how do you deal with it?
DP: There is always going to be things you are not certain of, but one of the things I have learned in coaching is that you have to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. I know I am going to be dealing with that all season long from an injury standpoint and preparation stand point. There are going to be circumstances out of your control, and that comes down to control — I think we will get better at it.
OR: What are some weaknesses in the team and how do you hope to fix them?
DP: I think the offense needs some work. It’s some timing issues, getting the ball to what we call our playmakers and trying to throw the ball in and out of the quarterback’s hand a little quicker. We’re close, we’re just not there and it’s not something that’s just gonna happen overnight. It’s a process and we gotta continue to make little strides and it’ll come together.
OR: Going forward, what do you hope for yourself as a coach and for your team?
DP: I think this year is crucial from a standpoint of laying a good foundation for the future. It is as simple as that right now and I think if we get (into the playoffs), we’ll be playing our best football and we could be a really dangerous team in the playoffs.
