Football is ready for a return

Posted: Apr 01, 2021

While the fall football season went by without any games being played it has not stopped Delta College Head Coach Gary Barlow and his team from adapting and controlling the things that they can control and continuing to get better.

"We have daily zoom meetings with the team where we share information," said Barlow about a practice that has become a common thing across all sports with in-person meetings not possible.

"We break out into separate rooms and install offense and defense. We do have workouts on camera where the whole team is working out on camera two times a week."

Starting this week at Delta College teams have been able to get together and workout in person for the first time in many months. "It's a step in the right direction.," said Barlow. "We are working in pods of ten and doing the things we can do with the guidelines that are in place. We can do some things now that we haven't been able to do."

"Through this whole thing, my message to the team and coaches is that we need to realize there are things that we aren't in control of and we just have to adapt to whatever the situation is."

Despite not having a season that has not stopped players from moving on to four-year schools for next season. Typically averaging 10-15 players a season that goes from playing with the Mustangs to a four-year university this year's group that will be moving on includes defensive back Tre Wortham who played at Bear Creek High School and is already at the University of Connecticut.

"The one thing that has come out of this is the use of technology and the ways that we were forced to do things now we will still be able to use even when we go back to face to face," said Barlow. "Prepare and adapt. If you can realize there are things that you can control and things that you can't it helps you focus your energy in positive ways."

With hopes that things will return back to normal in the fall the Mustangs will be ready whenever they finally get to retake the field.

"All I can do is the best I can for the local student-athletes," said Barlow. "It's a whole new world for all of us. You can never fully tell how things can work out. We recruit the best student-athletes we have access to and hopefully, we can get them all. Our program is designed to kind of be an all-star team from all the area high schools. If we can get the best kids our area has to offer we can pretty much line up with any team in the state."