With the first scheduled game at the end of August, most high school football teams are electing to take the CIF-mandated three-week ?dead period? during the month of July.
Not at San Marcos.
San Marcos quarterback Wes Ghan-Gibson is entering his senior season for the Royals. (Presidio Sports Photo)
Coach Anthony Linebaugh decided to take an early dead period, when teams are required to be off from supervised workouts.
?No free time in July,? Linebaugh told Presidio Sports. ?No free time when you?re coming off a 1-9 season.?
While the varsity team took its lumps in Linebaugh?s first season at the helm, the lower level teams did well. The sophomore-led JVs went 7-3. He chose to keep the sophomore class together, creating stability and laying the groundwork for a program on the rise.
Linebaugh said the spring ?was very productive. It allowed us to accelerate our learning curve and set a fundamental foundation for our summer program. Senior leadership will be a strength for us as well as a maturing group of incoming juniors.?
One of the senior leaders for the Royals will be returning quarterback Wes Ghan-Gibson. The 6-3, 190-pounder suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth game last year and missed the rest of the season.
?He has fully recovered from last year’s shoulder injury,? Linebaugh said.
After a scrimmage at Santa Ynez on Aug. 23, the Royals open the season at Cabrillo on Aug. 30.
Caines breaking in a new group of players at SBHS: Santa Barbara High coach Doug Caines will? http://t.co/cntsnY3k1Y
— Presidio Sports (@PresidioSports) July 10, 2013
