Warrior QB Levi Garrett hands the ball off to running back Marcus Curiel as the Warriors hosted the 7th Annual Wing-T Camp
at Tehachapi High School. The camp included many area high schools and was led by coach Steve Verbit from Princeton University.
Photo by Mike Duffy, The Tehachapi News
Posted June 23, 2010 by Tom Shea, The Tehachapi News Learning From The Best
2010 Warrior Football In Summer Camp
Although the fall football season may be three months away, preparations by the Warriors were in full swing at the National Offensive-Defensive Football camp this past weekend.
Tehachapi is hoping to keep their winning tradition alive for the new season, riding a success that had them winning the South Sequoia League championship in 2009 and reaching the CIF Division III semifinals.
The National Offensive-Defensive Football camp has been hosted by Tehachapi for five straight years and is widely considered to be one of the greatest instructional outlets for game play terminology and training. On offense, the players learn critical formations for the upcoming season, including gaining instruction on the wing-t, no-huddle spread, multiple one and two back sets and the spread option. They also get a feel for early competition by participating in seven-on-seven passing drills and 11-on-11 thud sessions.
"This camp is something that is a staple for us at this time of year," said head coach Steve Denman. "We have an opportunity for our kids to get some exposure and learn from some of the best minds at the college level. How to do things, how to bring the right work ethic, those things are important. It sets a good foundation and tone for the rest of our summer."
Coaches from Cornell, Delaware, West Chester, Bucknell, Temple Western Michigan, Rutgers and Charleston highlight some of the coaches that are in attendance. The camp is led by Steve Verbit, who is Princeton University's defensive coordinator and founder of the summer high school traveling camp program.
"We always enjoy coming to Tehachapi and hosting a camp here, Steve (Denman) and his staff are such great hosts," said Verbit. "The kids we have had this camp are outstanding. The Tehachapi players have always had great work ethic. They listen to the drill instructors and give 100 percent effort, very committed."
Other than Tehachapi, other attendees of the camp included Stockdale and Highland High School, with a total camp attendance reaching nearly 300 athletes.
"It was a great experience and a success this year," added Denman. "It was great for us to use this camp as a vehicle for hard work and training. Hopefully as the summer progresses we will continue to get better and be where we need to be for the start of the season."