Enthusiasm builds at Parkdale

New coach meets with players, promises stability

"I said, no, I'm buying a house. I'm going to be here," Holzer said. "All of a sudden, you saw the light in his face."

Such suspicion is rare, although it could be expected at a program with a recent history of changing leadership. But as he and his new staff work to gain the trust of players as preseason workouts begin this weekend, Holzer said he has a clear vision for the program that goes far beyond this season, and the players buy into it.

Parkdale has managed sporadic success, even though it has made welcoming a new coach nearly an annual exercise. When the coaching turnstile opened midway through the 2001 season with the departure Bob Johnson, Mike Rucker took over and led the Panthers to the state Class 4A championship in 2002. Last season, second-year coach Quentin Hines had the Panthers two points away from the 4A South Region title.

But there were a series of up and down years in between while leadership came and went. Holzer, a physical education teacher who has been an assistant at Charles County's Westlake High and in New York, said he hopes he and his staff can establish themselves, which will help the program live out its promise.

"I'm trying to provide stability so we can have those big seasons every year," said Holzer.

The Panthers have come out in good numbers so far, and fitness testing results have been positive, Holzer said. But still he said he has more work to do to recruit potential athletes from the halls of Parkdale to the football field.

Holzer has assembled an eight-man coaching staff, with three holdovers from last year, and would like to add two more coaches. All but two members of the group are under 35, and three have worked at the college level.

"Every coach has a style that fits perfectly," Holzer said. "I think the football knowledge on staff is pretty good."

Although Holzer is not new to the area after spending five years at Westlake, his first coaching job was as an assistant at a high school in Chappaqua, N.Y., an affluent suburb of New York City. The attitudes and resources of that school greatly differed from Parkdale, but Holzer said he is excited to take on the job at the Riverdale school.

"I wouldn't switch back," Holzer said. "I think the kids now work 10 times harder than the kids up there. They genuinely want to be here."

E-mail Kevin Hilgers at khilgers@gazette.net.