Oiler JV: Building for the future
on October 23, 2010
In the midst of an action-packed varsity football season, where the passion is high and the “greats” are unforgotten, lies an underrepresented but very important layer of high school football: the junior varsity team.
JV Oiler Eric Frankin, 42, takes down Berkeley High JV player with 7 minutes and 9 seconds left of the 3rd quarter. (photo by Becca Friedman)
“Junior varsity is the foundation and root of what it takes to play good football,” said Darrin Zaragoza, athletic director at Richmond High. “It prepares the players for the big stage, helping them learn the skills, understand football terminology and prepare them mentally.”
Richmond High is one of the largest schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District, with 1600 students, yet the Richmond Oilers junior varsity team currently consists of only 20 players who are, as a team, relatively inexperienced.
“We have low numbers at this time and at least 15 of our players have never played football before this season,” said Zaragoza.
“This affects our performance and ability to complete our plays because you can’t expect all 11 players to dominate at all times when they are playing the full four quarters,” he said, explaining that inexperienced team members play intermittently throughout the game.
“You can’t put someone that’s only been playing for 6-8 weeks on the field for very long,” he said. “You have to think about their safety and confidence but still let them feel like a part of the team.”
JV Oilers #44, Nethaniel House, unsuccessfully attempts to stop a run for the endzone by Berkeley High, bringing the score to 8-0. (photo by Becca Friedman)
The Oiler JV squad is 3-4 this year so far, but the coach is more than satisfied.
“We call this season our comeback season,” said Coach Marques Arnold, head coach for the junior varsity Richmond Oilers. “Last year we didn’t get as far as we are now, it’s bringing our program back.”
The JV Oilers put up a tough fight in the game against Berkley High yesterday that resulted in—despite their efforts—a 30-0 loss.
“Mistakes is killing us, man, which is giving them easy points,” said coach Derandre Green, Offensive Coordinator, during the half time pep talk. “We have to work hard for ours so let’s not give it to them that easy with our fumbles.”
But the JV program is about more than football. The coaches and athletic director uphold a no-nonsense approach to academic success.
“Football is always going to be here but you’re only going to be a student once,” said coach Marques. “If you don’t graduate, high school football don’t mean nothing. I just want them to see there is more to life than these gangs.”
"We're sitting here 23 nothing and we're still in it, we still fightin' and that's exactly what I expect from all 11 of y'all on that field," says Headline Coach Marlon Johnson at the Oilers' half-time talk. (photo by Becca Friedman)
Players are required to uphold at least a 2.0 grade point average in order to remain in good standing with the team. When a player falls below this, his parents meet with Mr. Zaragoza who defends a “don’t pass, don’t play” policy and suspends a player until his grades improve.
Just this week the Oilers’ quarterback was suspended due to inadequate grades.
“We looked at his progress report and his grades weren’t on par so I took him off and told him if he shows me he can bring them up in two weeks he can play football again,” said coach Marques.
It isn’t just grades that can hold back a student. There’s another challenge: the lack of parental support.
“If you don’t have a hammer you cant build a house, and because parental support is so low I don’t think we have the tools to do what we want to do,” said Zaragoza.
“In our community [the parents] they don’t get a chance to come to the games—you can’t take time off when you are financially unstable,” said Zaragoza.
“You look in the stands and see very little support. Where are their fans?” he said.
Head Coach Marques Arnold walks off field at the end of a tough game. "I'm still proud of my boys," he said. (photo by Becca Friedman)
And though disappointed in their loss against Berkeley, the team listened intently to coach Marques’s final words, a philosophy he has attempted to engrain in his JV players:
“There’re gonna be good times and there’re gonna be bad times,” said coach Marques while rubbing the head of player 44, Nethaniel House.
“Relax this weekend, study hard and get ready to work,” he said.
31 Comments
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a big thank u Kamila McDonald from richmond high jv football team
go oilers
keep Building marques in two years your going to good on the varsity level
junior varsity football is very important school is also very important good job coach marques some time wend you loss u win keep fighting coach we need people like u in richmond
good job oilers keep it up good work marques your a good coach this was a good article are they going to your game next week
i love this article the richmond cup this week marques your better win on Friday we do support richmond go oilers
ima a parent and i all way support richmond high football team some of the player on the team dont have farther who support them coach marques is like a farther to all of 20 them what we need is more man like coach marques who support them on and off the field
the report who did this Story did a job ima a parent and i all way support richmond high football team i graduate from richmond high and we do have a hammer coach marques is are hammer and he has all the tools on his jv to build us a house are varsity is going to be realy good next year keep doing a job with my son coach marques
we do support richmond go oilers
Coach Marcus is a great coach. I’ve seen improvements on junior varsity they won their first league game against Hercules the score being 42-12. He is very dedicated to his players. They going to win against De Anza this friday. Woot woot Oilers. (:
GO OILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Coach Marcus is a great coach. I’ve seen improvements on junior varsity they won their first league game against Hercules the score being 42-12. He is very dedicated to his players. They going to win against De Anza this friday. Woot woot Oilers. (:
go oilers
we do support richmond go oilers richmond cup this week go oilers
hank u Kamila McDonald from richmond high jv football team
go oilers
DA bout to get scraped!!
i used to play on the football team but coach Marcus kicked me off the team cause i got bad grades and he wants me to get ma grades up
yall going yo get woped unless im wide reiceaver
Richmond High jv team needs inprovement. They have potential to be great. They just need to get serious.
DA bout to get scraped
Junior varsity scraped
da
win the richmond cup this week
NATE House your better win this week your better keep the richmond cup at richmond
your better win its DA homing coming
your better win its DA home coming
your beetter scraped
De Anza like scraped
your did Hercules
GO OILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO OILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
win this week
COACH MARQUES IS AN VERY, VERY GOOD COACH AND MAKE THE TEAM WORK HARD.
COACH MARQUES IS AN VERY, VERY GOOD COACH STOP MAKING US WORK SO HARD
COACH MARQUES IS AN VERY GOOD COACH AND MAKE THE TEAM WORK HARD. TAKE
COACH MARQUES AND COACH DRE IS AN VERY, VERY GOOD COACH AND MAKE THE TEAM WORK HARD.
COACH MARQUES AND COACH DRE ,COACH Marlon IS AN VERY, VERY GOOD COACH AND MAKE THE TEAM WORK HARD.