Way back in August I spoke with first year Rockville High School coach Kevin Bernot( Profile: Kevin Bernot ) who was eager to get going on his first head-coaching job. Bernot felt that his team had potential owing to good talent, and the fact that Rockville’s previous coach, Mark Maradei (now at Northwest), had left the program in strong shape. Bernot was a product of success at Sherwood as both a player and coach, so he set the bar very high for both himself and his team.
At the halfway point of the season, both the Rams and Bernot have to feel they are approaching that high bar as Bernot has his team at 5-0 and in good shape for a playoff run. I felt that it was a good time to catch up with coach Bernot again to discuss the season and how he has adjusted to his new situation.
Coming from a gold-standard program at Sherwood, the first adjustment Bernot had to make was learning how to work with “fewer numbers.” Sherwood typically gets 80 players on their junior varsity team, so the system is never lacking for available players. Bernot is sometimes making do with barely enough players to have a scrimmage if players are out due to injury, sickness or for personal matters. At the same time, the lack of numbers manifests itself in depth and talent. Bernot feels that a lot of talent at the high school is walking around the hallways, disinterested in the program, something that almost never happens at Sherwood. “We need more kids to come out (for the team),” Bernot laments. Hopefully as the program becomes prominent and successful this is a problem that resolves itself.
Coach Bernot’s expectations for the program are succinct and direct: “We want to win the region and the state, and be a traditional playoff team.” This is the attitude you find at Sherwood and other high profile, successful programs in the county, and coach Bernot is passionate about the sentiment. “We are on a good track, and we want (Rockville) to be a staple in the playoffs, not an anomaly.”
With consistency in goals has to come consistency in the team’s attitude and ethic, and towards that end coach Bernot has been very pleased, and perhaps a little surprised, with his team. “This team has fire; they want to play well and do well,” he said, referencing an early season practice where the first team offense was not doing very well until they got together for a little “discussion”. The spirit and results after the talk were just what the coach was looking for, and Bernot believes his team “shows up every day,” a requisite trait for a strong team.
My conversation with coach Bernot was prior to the Richard Montgomery game, and reflecting to that point on the season Bernot was slightly concerned. “We have not really had the explosive plays during the year that we are looking for. We are looking for better long- term execution, and teams that we should put away are staying closer than we want. We need a dominant win for the program.”
Part of the reason for a lack of explosion might have been a two-week injury to star running back Crusoe Gongbay. Sophomore Nate Nolasco did an outstanding job filling in for Gongbay, scoring three touchdowns in two games. Senior Robbie Parker, who in a game against Northwood actually played at three different positions during the evening, also filled in admirably. Wins are wins, and Rockville managed to get two out of two without Gongbay, but eventually Bernot knew he would be back.
While Saturday night’s win against Richard Montgomery might not be a program defining moment, certainly it was the explosion Bernot was hoping for. With Gongbay back in action the Rams trounced RM in decisive fashion, 35-0 to run their record to 5-0 heading into the second half of the season.
For the Rams and coach Bernot, it’s the second season, the playoffs, that will determine the long-term direction of the program and define Bernot’s eventual vision of an annual playoff, and state championship, contender.
For the Rams and coach Bernot, it’s the second season, the playoffs, that will determine the long-term direction of the program and define Bernot’s eventual vision of an annual playoff, and state championship, contender.
NOTE: My MCM Week Five Top 10 column incorrectly listed Rockville’s next opponent as Northern. Rockville hosts Wheaton this weekend for their Homecoming Game.
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