Parkdale picks new coach

Parkdale is Holzer’s first head football coaching job, and a long-awaited one.

‘‘I applied to every school district in the area and had been offered a head coaching position five times,” said Holzer. ‘‘I wanted to find the right fit for me.”

Holzer becomes the county’s 11th new head football coach for the 2008 season, and the county will have one more to add to the list, as High Point is in the process of replacing Marvin Jackson, who stepped down in May.

Despite coming off a postseason run, Parkdale’s 2008 team hardly will resemble last year’s squad. That is one major hurdle for Holzer. Another is the fact that his hiring comes just a month before the beginning of training camp on Aug. 16.

‘‘The kids don’t know what’s really going on yet,” said Holzer. ‘‘But they’re not fazed by anything. They’re chomping at the bit to get going. They’re so excited, it’s unbelievable.”

Holzer said about 95 percent of last year’s Parkdale players graduated, leaving just four returning starters on offense and three on defense. And with such little time to prepare for the new season, he also knows that opening games against County 4A League opponents Suitland, Charles H. Flowers and Eleanor Roosevelt pose a difficult early challenge.

‘‘I’m very familiar with the football in this county,” said Holzer, a Crofton resident, who will teach physical education at Parkdale this fall. ‘‘It’s one of the toughest leagues in the state, if not the toughest. It has the best teams and best coaches in the state. It will be a heck of a challenge.”

Holzer was born in White Plains, N.Y., and was an offensive lineman at Hofstra University. He had intentions of going to a Division I program then the NFL, but an ankle injury that has required six surgeries cut those dreams short. Holzer went on to be a student-teacher and football assistant at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, N.Y., then returned to Hofstra for one season to coach the offensive line and be the strength coach.

Wanting to expand his opportunities, he came to Maryland where he had relatives and took a job with Westlake High in Charles County. He coached there for five seasons under longtime coach Dom Zaccarelli, the last two campaigns as the defensive coordinator. In those last two seasons, Holzer guided a defense that posted seven shutouts and held opponents to single-digit scoring 13 times in 23 games, while allowing just 11.2 points per game.

‘‘It’s late in the game [to start the program this season] and I’m nervous to be honest with you,” said Holzer. ‘‘But everything is coming together and this is a good place to be.”

Holzer is still assembling his staff. Todd Sommerville (defensive coordinator) and Lorenzo Fludd (strength coach) are holdovers from last season. Holzer’s father, Richard J. Holzer, also is on the staff as the offensive and defensive line coach.

Coaching Notes: High Point Athletic Director Shirley Diggs said she is still conducting interviews for the Beltsville school’s football vacancy.

Bishop McNamara is looking for a head wrestling coach this winter, Athletic Director Tony Johnson said last week. Juan Solera, who held the position last season, will still be available to return either as head coach or assistant. But applications are being accepted for the head job. Inquire to Johnson at 301-516-6132, Ext. 103.

E-mail Adam Rubenstein at arubenstein@gazette.net.