TrueBlue
08-15-2005, 11:26 PM
Mauro leads Bell’s transition to the air
“(Mauro) is a very intelligent young man and a very gifted athlete.” (LD Bell Coach Gary Olivo)
08/15/2005
By BRAD RIDDELL/Texasfootball.com contributor
The water and ice splashed in a frigid wave onto the grass near the sidelines. At the close of practice the Hurst Bell trainers had enlisted help from a handful of players in emptying the coolers.
While most schools would reserve such duty for younger players on the JV, Bell went right to the top. As the sun set under fading clouds Friday evening it was senior quarterback Joe Mauro who assisted with chores.
And it’s a good thing. If the Bell Blue Raiders are to find success this season, Mauro will have to do a little bit of everything.
Under new head coach Gary Olivo - offensive coordinator on two state title teams at Grapevine - a great deal of responsibility will fall into senior Joe Mauro’s hands.
In Olivo’s four-wideout, no huddle-system, it is the quarterback’s charge to receive the play from the sideline via hand signals. He must then call the play at the line of scrimmage, setting routes for the receivers and protections for the offensive line.
And once the ball is hiked all the fun starts.
Olivo’s system is a quarterback’s dream. The man standing behind center in the shotgun formation will do a great deal of running off the zone read as well as choosing between as many as five receiver targets in passing situations.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” coach Olivo said when asked about the offense’s progress. “But they get a little bit better each day and that’s all we can ask.”
Improvement will certainly be the key for Bell this season coming off a 3-7 campaign in 2004. In a ground-oriented attack, the Raiders were stunted as a team offensively a season ago.
Talented signal caller Joe Mauro also was held back. He lacked ample opportunity to display the arm that has colleges around the country chomping at the bit to see him in action this fall. So how much does it help to have someone like Mauro running the show in a brand new offensive scheme?
“It’s a good feeling I’ll tell you that,” coach Olivo said. “Joe is a very intelligent young man and a very gifted athlete.”
And he will not be spending much time handing the ball off this season.
“Everybody was real excited,” Mauro mentioned when asked about the team’s response to coach Olivo’s passing attack. “I’ve been a quarterback for a long time but we had to throw everything out that we already knew and start over.”
But the transition could be just the thing to put Mauro on the map. He stands every bit of 6-5 and has the frame to fill out at the next level. With the new offense serving as a showcase of his excellence in the passing game, it could only be a matter of time before colleges and opponents alike start to take notice.
“We want to win, and we want to get better each day at practice,” Mauro said. “Obviously we aren’t where we want to be yet, but by the middle of the season we want to be clicking. We want to be that unstoppable team that nobody wants to play.”
With Mauro leading the offense the sky could be the limit. Not only will the success of the team hinge largely on his performance this season, but the slate of games to come could also make or break his chances with a number of colleges. Many will gauge his ability to perform at the next level based on his play in a pass first offense.
“There have been a lot of schools that sent me letters,” Mauro said when asked about particular schools of interest. “The ones that stick out are A&M and Northwestern. Northwestern is a good school and A&M is close and has a good mixture of everything I want.”
Mauro has yet to receive offers from his favorites, but they could come quickly once they get the offense rolling this season.
“We’ve got to hurry up and learn this stuff,” Mauro said describing the transition to the new offensive scheme. “Leadership is going to play a big part.”
That is certainly something Mauro can provide. And with the duties he will be asked to take on, it has to be.
“The seniors are going to have to show up,” Mauro said of his role as a team leader. “It’s our job to bring these younger guys along with us.”
With Mauro at the helm, that shouldn’t be a problem.
“(Mauro) is a very intelligent young man and a very gifted athlete.” (LD Bell Coach Gary Olivo)
08/15/2005
By BRAD RIDDELL/Texasfootball.com contributor
The water and ice splashed in a frigid wave onto the grass near the sidelines. At the close of practice the Hurst Bell trainers had enlisted help from a handful of players in emptying the coolers.
While most schools would reserve such duty for younger players on the JV, Bell went right to the top. As the sun set under fading clouds Friday evening it was senior quarterback Joe Mauro who assisted with chores.
And it’s a good thing. If the Bell Blue Raiders are to find success this season, Mauro will have to do a little bit of everything.
Under new head coach Gary Olivo - offensive coordinator on two state title teams at Grapevine - a great deal of responsibility will fall into senior Joe Mauro’s hands.
In Olivo’s four-wideout, no huddle-system, it is the quarterback’s charge to receive the play from the sideline via hand signals. He must then call the play at the line of scrimmage, setting routes for the receivers and protections for the offensive line.
And once the ball is hiked all the fun starts.
Olivo’s system is a quarterback’s dream. The man standing behind center in the shotgun formation will do a great deal of running off the zone read as well as choosing between as many as five receiver targets in passing situations.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” coach Olivo said when asked about the offense’s progress. “But they get a little bit better each day and that’s all we can ask.”
Improvement will certainly be the key for Bell this season coming off a 3-7 campaign in 2004. In a ground-oriented attack, the Raiders were stunted as a team offensively a season ago.
Talented signal caller Joe Mauro also was held back. He lacked ample opportunity to display the arm that has colleges around the country chomping at the bit to see him in action this fall. So how much does it help to have someone like Mauro running the show in a brand new offensive scheme?
“It’s a good feeling I’ll tell you that,” coach Olivo said. “Joe is a very intelligent young man and a very gifted athlete.”
And he will not be spending much time handing the ball off this season.
“Everybody was real excited,” Mauro mentioned when asked about the team’s response to coach Olivo’s passing attack. “I’ve been a quarterback for a long time but we had to throw everything out that we already knew and start over.”
But the transition could be just the thing to put Mauro on the map. He stands every bit of 6-5 and has the frame to fill out at the next level. With the new offense serving as a showcase of his excellence in the passing game, it could only be a matter of time before colleges and opponents alike start to take notice.
“We want to win, and we want to get better each day at practice,” Mauro said. “Obviously we aren’t where we want to be yet, but by the middle of the season we want to be clicking. We want to be that unstoppable team that nobody wants to play.”
With Mauro leading the offense the sky could be the limit. Not only will the success of the team hinge largely on his performance this season, but the slate of games to come could also make or break his chances with a number of colleges. Many will gauge his ability to perform at the next level based on his play in a pass first offense.
“There have been a lot of schools that sent me letters,” Mauro said when asked about particular schools of interest. “The ones that stick out are A&M and Northwestern. Northwestern is a good school and A&M is close and has a good mixture of everything I want.”
Mauro has yet to receive offers from his favorites, but they could come quickly once they get the offense rolling this season.
“We’ve got to hurry up and learn this stuff,” Mauro said describing the transition to the new offensive scheme. “Leadership is going to play a big part.”
That is certainly something Mauro can provide. And with the duties he will be asked to take on, it has to be.
“The seniors are going to have to show up,” Mauro said of his role as a team leader. “It’s our job to bring these younger guys along with us.”
With Mauro at the helm, that shouldn’t be a problem.