Lincoln football moving forward

By Joe Mason
Times Sports Editor

Gene Kelly has good reason to smile.
Kelly, who is entering his third season as head coach of Abraham Lincoln High School’s football team, has endured a lot of tough times with his program.
Prior to last year’s 6-4 record, the school hadn’t enjoyed a winning season since1994, when the team finished 5-4-1.
And the last time the Railsplitters appeared in a playoff game? That was in 1988, when they advanced to the semifinals of the Public League tournament.
While the team always had its share of talented players, its biggest problems have been depth on the roster and player conditioning. Because the Railsplitters have had difficulty recruiting players in recent years, making it tough to field solid offensive and defensive units, most of the team’s top players have been forced to play on both sides of the ball. Being on the field for much of the time without a breather caused the team to wear down toward the end of many games.
This year, there may be more rest for the weary.
As a result of the Philadelphia Public League’s move to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, teams were able to open camp on Aug. 16. In previous years, practices didn’t start until the first day of school in September.
The earlier start enables the Railsplitters to devote more time to conditioning. And the best news, perhaps, is that more kids are turning out to play football.
Thus far, more than 50 players have been cleared and are taking part in practices. About 10 more have yet to report, either because of family vacations, summer jobs or a delay in undergoing the mandatory physical for athletes.
Kelly also plans to put together a freshman football team with ninth-graders who enter the school next month.
While the 50 players will be divided between the varsity and junior varsity teams, the numbers have been encouraging.
And so has the early turnout.
"We’re excited, but we have so much to learn," Kelly said. "Having the kids come in early, obviously that gives us a lot of time to work with the kids who weren’t working out on their own. As a coach, you want all of your players to come in ready to go. Now we know that doesn’t happen, and in years past we had to rush to put the plays in, get conditioned and practice running the plays. This year, we have a week to get in shape and then we’ll be ready to put in the offense and defense."
The extra practices haven’t just been all calisthenics. The players have also taken the time to get to know each other, something Kelly believes is just as important as learning the game.
"I don’t care what you’re doing, whether it’s football, or work or at war, you have to get to know who you’re working with," Kelly said. "We’re having two-a-days, so the kids have a lot of time in between practices to get to know each other. Team unity in everything is very important, and football is no different. That’s been a huge plus.
"Normally, these kids come out in September and they don’t know anyone. A few of them might know each other, but for the most part, it takes an introductory phase. We won’t need that this year because the kids are in and they’re working together."
Team leader Joe DiGrazio feels the same way. The senior middle linebacker, who will also see time in the offensive backfield, enjoys the camp because he believes it will only lead to success — for himself and the team.
DiGrazio is pleased with the Public League’s move to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.
"It will help the seniors because we’ll get more exposure and that means more scholarships," DiGrazio said. "But the best part about it so far has been camp. We’re way ahead of schedule, and of course that will help us once the season starts.
"And we’re ready," DiGrazio continued. "We started lifting early last year . . . right after the season ended. We have two weight rooms and both were always packed with kids. We want to win, and we worked hard at it. We still have to do it on the field, but at least we’re ready to go this year."
According to Kelly, DiGrazio was one of the many players who started as sophomores during the coach’s first season at Lincoln.
Though that team suffered through a 2-9 campaign, it wasn’t a total loss. The players gained valuable experience, and even though success, in terms of wins and losses, wasn’t visible that year, Kelly is confident that the playing time will prove valuable this year.
Last year, that same team won four more games. Now they are hoping to take the next step this year.
"I knew that first year that those young kids were good players, and I knew they had a lot of heart, because they kept coming back," Kelly said. "Now they have experience. We still have a lot to work on, but so far, I’ve been happy with the effort, and I’m hoping that once we get everyone in, we’ll be ready to go." oo
Sports editor Joe Mason can be reached at 215-354-3035 or jmason@phillynews.com