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Sports

Gearing Up for Year Three: A Q&A With Parkdale Football Coach Richard Holzer

Parkdale High School head football coach Richard Holzer conveys his thoughts on the current state of his program.

Parkdale High School, which hosts students from both Riverdale Park and University Park, has not traditionally been known as a football powerhouse. A coaching regime change two years ago, piloted by the hiring of head coach Richard Holzer, has seen that trend start to shift. 

Riverdale Park-University Park Patch: What is your football background?

Richard Holzer: I played at Hofstra University where I was on the offensive line as a three-year starter. I was a two-year all-league selection and an All-American for a year. I had a bunch of NFL-type things go on afterward but that only lasted about a year or so. Then, I went back and coached at Hofstra as an assistant offensive line and strength coach. I was then the defensive coordinator at West Lake High in southern Maryland, where I stayed for five years, and we won the league three times. I was set to take over as the head coach there but instead I ended up coming to Parkdale. This will be my third season here as a coach and PE teacher.

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Patch: How was the 2009 season?

Holzer: Last season we went 4-6, which is was what we expected. We had a bunch of kids who had never played before or hadn't played since youth league. We had a lot of kids with great upside, but who were young and inexperienced. We had ups and downs—moments where we looked like the top team in county and others where we didn't.

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Patch: How are you personally preparing for the start of practice this weekend?

Holzer: In the past, I've busted my butt being in the hallways forcing players to be disciplined in class so they can be eligible. This year, I've really been focusing on schedules. Our playbook is set though, and it's really simple. The kids know the plays already, which is great. We're just focused on getting drills down and fine tuning some things.

Patch: What do you expect your players to be doing now in preparation for the start of practice?

Holzer: Prior to this week, they were in weight training four days a week. That started in January and went right through the year with little breaks here and there. I expect them to be mentally tougher and physically in better shape than they were last year. We will be faster. That is noticeable already.

Patch: What are your goals for this season?

Holzer: We need to improve our execution and be focused all the time. We can't have meltdowns or lapses in judgment, which are characteristic of a young team. 

Patch: Who in particular do you expect to shine on this team?

Holzer: Bejoe Mundit, our quarterback, should have a great year. We brought him along slowly because a few years ago he was an undersized, 120 pound wrestler. Now he's 165 pounds and 6 feet tall. He is intelligent, knows his reads and is careful with the football. He understands that completions are the goal and that enough completions get you in the end zone.

Michael Carter is our strong safety. He probably has the best football intelligence and instincts on the team. You don't have to work with him on stuff because he already knows it. He jumps slants and takes them for touchdowns without having to be taught.

Patch: Why should Parkdale fans come and support the team this year?

Holzer: We coaches are really excited because the whole school is finally buying into what we're doing. We went from having 39 kids in the whole program two years ago to at least 110 this year. You're going to see a style of football that no one in Prince George's County has seen yet. We want to throw the ball about 50 or 60 times per game. If we only run the ball 10 times in a game, then so be it.

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