Grunt Work

They begin at daybreak, prying their eyelids open to the sound of an insistent coach.

Their youthful bodies stretch and push to the limit as the St. Bonaventure High varsity football team begins a grueling routine intended to help transform the boys, ages 14 to 18, into league champions.

They eat six meals a day at the one-week football camp. But they also spend 12 hours a day in backbreaking physical work.

After completing a drill in which they jump through a latticework of rope, testing their agility, it’s on to the blocking sled. With all their might, they slam their bodies against the 125-pound object in utter determination.

Football practice is approached with the same single-minded effort.

Swatches of green grass fly up from the scrambling players, and the crisp uniforms they donned earlier in the day become unrecognizable, drenched with sweat and dirt.

During their hell week, the students are dedicated to letting the coaches mold them into football players.

The goal of all of the grunt work is to create camaraderie, and, more important, winners.

“Each kid is different,” said Jon Mack, coach of the St. Bonaventure Seraphs for the last nine years. “Some kids need a pat on the back, and some you have to kick in the rear. These guys are a pretty hard-working group, so there are a lot of pats on the back.”

At the end of the day, when there is no more light, weariness sets in as the players fall asleep, only to wake up and do it again the next day.

The home opener for the Seraphs will be Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m in Ventura at Larrabee Stadium.