When Marc Freeman unveiled his off-season training and conditioning program two years ago, it was met with a bit of skepticism from some of Council Rock North’s players.
“There was no bench press, none of the stuff we were used to seeing,” senior co-captain Charlie Anastasi said. “Instead, we were doing a lot of cross fit things, a lot of different jumps. It was different activities, but we definitely took it seriously. The first day we did it - we could barely move the next day.”
The players have been Freeman disciples ever since, and it doesn’t take long to figure out there’s a tie-in between the Indians’ recent success – they clinched their second consecutive National Conference crown on Tuesday night – and the arrival of Freeman on the scene two years ago.
“It means everything,” junior co-captain Aaron Morgan said of the program. “Every little thing we do in the offseason – it goes right into the season and makes us better. Anything that makes our team better is good for me.
“We wanted to be the best team we could be, so if that’s what we have to do, we’ll do it.”
The Indians are 13-0 in SOL play, and only a win in Friday night’s league season finale against archrival Neshaminy separates them from a perfect conference season. Overall, they have lost just once in 20 games and figure to be one of the top seeds when the district bracket is unveiled on Sunday.
Some of the credit for the Indians’ success certainly has to be attributed to their talent, but it’s much more than that.
“Sometimes my assistant coaches bust my chops – why are you worried about what we do in July and August? When the ball rolls out in December, we’ll be ready to go,” coach Derek Wright said. “I believe the trust the kids have in each other during the season will happen in the offseason because they’re choosing to do it themselves.
“They are there on a Wednesday morning in the middle of July when it’s 95 degree in the weight room. They see each other working hard. The fact that kids like Liam Kane and Jordan Chernin are in there consistently working their tails off shows the guys that get more time – you know what, I better earn my minutes. It shows the younger guys what it has to be like if you want to play at a high level.”
Freeman is a licensed physical therapist, and the program he has developed for the Indians is geared towards basketball.
“I know there are a lot of training programs out there that throw tires around, and they lift heavy weights,” Freeman said. “But I recognize that it’s high school sports. It’s not college or pro sports, so I have to be careful what I do with these kids because they’re still kids.
“I don’t want to stress their knees or backs or things like that. We look at basketball and what is appropriate for basketball, which is predominantly jumping, speed and cutting and things of that nature.”
Another key aspect of Freeman’s training regimen is that it is geared to prevent injuries.
“Knock on wood, but over the last three seasons we have implemented this program – other than a couple of sprained ankles here and there, we’ve not had significant injuries,” Freeman said. “You can look at a number of these kids and see they’ve gained a number of inches on their jumps. They have gained an extra step and things like that.
“Our focus really is – when you get in a situation in the fourth quarter, we want to have worn down the other team, and we still have extra gas in the tank.”
Rock North’s captains are a testament to the effectiveness of Freeman’s workouts.
“You look at them and you can see the difference,” Wright said of Morgan and Anastasi. “Arron Goodman’s flexibility has gotten so much better. John Raymon had back issues, and he has been pretty good with it this season.”
Anastasi also had a history of back issues, but that has changed.
“Ever since coach Freeman came on board, we definitely have seen a drop in injuries,” Anastasi said. “He told us right away – it’s definitely about getting stronger, but the main thing is when you’re in the weight room, you’re going to be preventing injuries.
“John and I have had back problems, and this year neither of us has missed a game. We definitely attribute that to the core work and the lifting we did in the offseason. When we go out, we know we can run on people. We feel conditioned. We feel we can play a full game and be at our best that whole time.”
Morgan also has also noticed a dramatic difference since working out with Freeman.
“My body type has changed,” the junior co-captain said. “He knows everything to do – the best drills. It might be hard, but it pushes us to get better, and you can see it.
“The seven o’clock morning workouts in the summer all pay off in the end. You didn’t want to do them, but you knew it would make you better.”
And it is that commitment to getting better that has driven the players.
“We have become more of a family the past two years because we’ve worked hard together,” Morgan said. “We want to work for each other. It’s not just for ourselves – it’s a team thing.
“To be a family and act as a team is the best thing, and that’s what we’ve done.”
According to Freeman, there’s good camaraderie amongst all the players – from seniors to freshmen.
“They basically push each other,” he said. “There’s only so much coaches can do.
“We can give them guidance and tell them what’s appropriate, but it’s the kids that work together as a team. Every time we’re doing sit-ups or push-ups or whatever it might be – everyone is counting together. Everybody is working together. It plays into that good communication on the basketball court.”
Rock North’s players are reaping the benefits for their 12-month commitment to their sport. Wright – like his players – notices the difference.
“Marc has really been able to incorporate the strength, conditioning and agility aspect with basketball moves,” the Indians’ coach said. “I really think it’s helped with preventing injuries, knock on wood.
“The past few years we have had some back injuries and some knee and ankle issues, and we have had much fewer of those. I think it’s improved our players’ flexibility and overall stamina. What coach Freeman has done and the commitment the kids have made in the offseason has really benefitted us.”
The fact that the players are choosing to make the time commitment on their own has been significant.
“We provide them the opportunity to hopefully have a first-rate program, and they’re going to choose it if they want to,” Wright said. “It’s a commitment they make on their own.
“Coach Freeman loves the game, he loves the kids, and he has a great relationship with them. He takes pride in the fact that our guys have progressed as athletes because of the work they have put into it. He makes it fun for them.”
To change things up, Freeman incorporates Yoga into the training, and as much as the players enjoy working with Freeman, the Indians’ assistant coach – a volunteer assistant under jayvee coach Jim Vacca - also enjoys working with them.
“I’m very, very proud of them,” Freeman said. “I have always had a passion for basketball. I have been very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work with the team like this. They’re really a great bunch of kids and a great bunch of coaches as well.”
The Indians clinched their second consecutive SOL National Conference title with Tuesday’s 55-43 win over Bensalem.
“It’s special to see the kids’ faces cutting the nets down,” Wright said. “It really meant a lot of them, which to me gives meaning to it.
“They’ve worked really hard, and it’s nice to be recognized. We’re really humbled in that I think we’re really lucky to be in the position we’re in. There were games that could have gone either way, but we got some breaks, but at the same time, our guys prepared themselves to defend their championship. It was good for them to see all that work be worth it.”
“The championship means so much because we have been working for it for so long,” Anastasi added. “All the hours in the offseason – when you cut down that net, it does mean so much.”
On Friday night, the Indians - who will host Ridley in a non-league game on Saturday - will close out their league season when they host archrival Neshaminy, which is coming off a 91-56 demolition of Truman. Don’t try telling the players this game doesn’t matter.
“It matters for district seeding,” Morgan said. “It’s a weight off our shoulders knowing we clinched (the title), and it’s great for our seniors that have worked the past four years and never given up.
“But it’s a big game. We look at every game as a big game. Neshaminy is the best competition – it tests us, which is really good. It’s going to be a fun game.”
“I think it’s great we have Neshaminy,” Anastasi said. “We’re so excited for that game. We want to win for district seeding, but we just want to win anyway. It’s just a great game we love to play.”
Tip-off is 7 p.m. for what promises to be a war between the National Conference powers.
Just the Facts
This year’s record: Council Rock North 13-0 SOL (19-1 overall), Neshaminy 11-2 SOL (18-3 overall)
Last year’s record: Council Rock North 11-3 SOL (22-6 overall), Neshaminy 10-4 SOL (20-9 overall)
Last meeting: Jan. 18, 2011 – Council Rock North 55, Neshaminy 43 (CR North: Aaron Morgan – 20 points, Charlie Anastasi – 16 points, Arron Goodman – 12 points; Neshaminy: Ryan Arcidiacono – 19 points, Michael McGarry – 9 points)
Last game: Council Rock North 55, Bensalem 43 (Aaron Morgan – 34 points, Charlie Anastasi – 11 points)
Neshaminy 91, Harry S. Truman 56 (Michael McGarry – 19 points, Ryan Arcidiacono – 16 points, Tyler Katz – 15 points; Dave Baron – 15 points, Dwight Williams – 11 points)
Council Rock North
#2 – Matt McCloskey (6-1, Jr., Guard)
#3 – Liam Kane (5-0, Sr., Guard)
#4 – Kevin Bogucki (6-1, Sr., Guard)
#5 – Aaron Morgan* (5-10, Jr., Guard)
#10 – John Raymon (6-6, Sr., Forward)
#12 – Owen Rice (5-8, Jr., Guard)
#14 – Brandon Knotts (5-10, Soph., Guard)
#21 – Alex Corry (6-0, Jr., Guard)
#22- Arron Goodman (6-4, Jr., Guard/Forward)
#23-Charlie Anastasi *(6-6, Sr., Forward)
#24 – Alex Jordan (6-2, Soph., Guard/Forward)
#31 – Kyle McCloskey (6-5, Soph., Guard)
#32 – Sam Ryan (6-3, Jr., Forward)
#42 – Jordan Chernin (6-0, Sr., Guard)
#50 – Hunter Stevens (6-7, Sr., Forward)
Neshaminy
#11 – Tyler Katz (6-1, Jr., Guard)
#12 – Dave Baron (6-5, Sr., Center)
#13 – Bobby Marterella (6-2, Jr., Guard)
#15 – Ryan Arcidiacono* (6-3, Jr., Guard)
#21 – Dwight Williams* (6-3, Sr., Wing)
#22 – Michael McGarry (6-6, Sr., Forward)
#24 – Shaquel Vaughn (6-3, Jr., Forward)
#25 – Ryan Jamison (6-3, Fr., Forward)
#32 – Charlie Marterella (6-1, Sr., Guard)
#44 – Richie Schafer (5-9, Jr., Guard)
*Captain
- Log in to post comments
0
