We were pleasantly surprised to see an article about Marshall Fundamental’s football team in the LA Times’ Pasadena Sun section on August 18th. We were even more surprised to read about how Mark is expected to play a pivotal role in the resurgence of the Mighty Eagles. Although we don’t have high hopes for a drastic turn-around this year, we are excited to have a coach that has realistic expectations and goals for his first year on board with this struggling team.
Here is the article in case the link doesn’t work:
Eagles look to go up together
Football: First-year Coach Zall preaching team unity as Marshall looks to build program up from 0-10 season.
By Mario Aguirre, mario.aguirre@latimes.com
August 18, 2011 | 8:40 p.m.
PASADENA — Over the past couple of months, they’ve held fundraisers and car washes and trips to the beach for barbecues and workouts. In between two-a-day workouts, for four hours each day, the members of the Marshall Fundamental football team file into the physical education classroom for what its coach calls “family-building.”
Twenty-six players spread out on wrestling mats and desks. Some crowd around a 70-inch television set donated to them to play video games, others huddle by a mini pool and ping pong table.
The concept behind these activities is to establish camaraderie — a missing element in the Eagles’ 0-10 season last year.
“It’s a huge difference between this year and years before,” said junior wide receiver Mark Merino, a three-year varsity player. “Since I’ve been here, coaches have promised things like we’re going to have camps together and nights at the gym and they never really followed through. This is the first coach that has actually followed through and it’s really helped us form a brotherhood.”
The new coach is James Zall, a former junior varsity coach at Alhambra High and before that an assistant during spring ball at South Pasadena, his alma mater.
Of its 26 players, Marshall Fundamental returns only 12 from last season. And because of the shortage, many will be required to play on both ends, Zall said.
Merino, who splits time as a wide receiver and cornerback, is what Zall calls a “quiet hitter.”
“He’s not the biggest player on the team, but the kid’s an athlete,” Zall said. “His raw talent mixed with his brain power just makes him a weapon on either side of the ball. He can catch the ball and he can tackle on the open field. So, he has the ability to at least be first-team all league, without a doubt. He and Derrick Shepherd.”
Shepherd led the team in touchdowns and rushing yards last season. But as the Eagles’ season sputtered, updated stats weren’t kept, so there aren’t accurate figures to illustrate last season’s performance. Zall said he expects Shepherd, a tailback and safety, to score at least 20 touchdowns this season.
Clifton Butler, a senior quarterback, is penciled in for the starting role.
“He’s going to be someone to watch,” Zall said. “He’s going to throw, if not run, for at least 1,000 yards this year. The kid is a truck. He doesn’t let down, he’s fearless. We’re creating a wildcat package strictly for him just to get him to run the ball.”
And then there’s Ivey Hales, the heart of the team, according to Zall.
The 6-foot, 215-pound running back is expected to miss the first five games of the season recovering from knee surgery. Zall said Hales broke a bone that required the insertion of screws. But what was initially overlooked was a “giant tear in his meniscus,” Zall said, which calls for Hales to undergo surgery Wednesday. Among the schools interested in Hales are USC, Washington State, San Diego State, New Mexico and Utah, Zall said.
With the exception of Angel Oliveras, a senior left guard, the offensive line is stacked with sophomores. “He’s not your typical lineman,” said Zall of Oliveras. “He’s small, but he’s got as big a heart and drive as anyone 6-foot-5, 300 pounds. He’s a beast. “We have so much raw talent that the only way we’re going to lose is if we beat ourselves in penalties, if we fumble, if we throw interceptions.”
Shepherd sees reasons to feel optimistic. “We’re much more like a family than in past years when things were scattered,” he said. “We know we’re going to win this as a team; we’re not going to win this with one person. We’re going to win it as a family.”
Players and coaches have estimated the team’s win total this season between four and five victories. After all, Zall said, the program has to manage expectations during this rebuilding process.
“This is a transition year,” he said. “When I was hired in my interview, I told them I need three to five years to get something going. This year we have 25-26 players, realistically, and they’re all going to go both ways. So they have to know that they’re going to spend the next three months getting the crap kicked out of them and then have to come back for more. And these guys are willing to do it.
“People kind of look at us as the team people could beat. But what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to create a group of guys who are going to stick together, win or lose. That’s what’s most important. After the last couple of seasons, the only way we could go is up.”
![Marshall Track Meet- 4-21-11 169_thumb[1]](http://merinospace.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Marshall-Track-Meet-4-21-11-169_thu1.jpg "Marshall Track Meet- 4-21-11 169_thumb[1]")
