High school football: New talent from different teams help build depth at North Hall

Jun. 15—As much as talent at any individual position is valued by high school football coaches, many of them will also put depth right up there along with it near the top of the list in importance to the success of a program.

And while some programs seem to have little problem filling out their roster with quality athletic talent year in and year out, coaches at other programs have to build depth wherever they can find it.

To that end, Sean Pender has found a number of rather convenient places to find that depth since he became head coach at North Hall last season, and the Venn diagram for all of them shows a lot of overlap.

A number of athletes who hadn't played football before at North Hall eventually came to the field house after spending time in the locker rooms of some of the Trojans' other sports programs both last season and this year.

Many of those players spent time in Pender's classroom, either during regular class time, or through a leadership program that he conducts before the school day during the year.

And even for those new players who come from other sources, such as the weight training courses in North Hall's physical education department, Pender says he finds they have a lot of the same things in common with a number of others — namely, a strong competitive instinct.

"Every day, ... I do a 7 a.m. leadership program that I offer it up to anybody who wants to come," Pender said. "I'll talk to (kids) in the weight room. I'll talk to the leaders of other teams and (some of them) come to the meetings and like what they hear and want to be around the program. It's just trying to develop momentum. ... And it really helps having kids who know how to compete and want to compete hard."

And while many of those players have come into the Trojans program with limited football experience, they have had a positive impact, and in some cases continue to have a positive impact, on the team on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

The poster child of that group is almost certainly Breckan Kirby, who has played both basketball and baseball most of his life before coming to Pender's leadership class one day and becoming intrigued with the idea of trying football.

And along with basketball and/or baseball teammates like Sam Gailey, Casen Payne and Carson Brown, Kirby was able to have an impact for the Trojans last year during Pender's first season as coach.

In Kirby's case, that impact inspired him to commit fully to football by putting in a full days work both in school and on the field or in the weight room every day.

It hasn't been easy, but that work has helped him not only become a college prospect, but also become a catalyst as North Hall seems poised to make serious improvement for his senior season this fall.

"I'd played baseball and basketball my entire life," the 6-foot-3, 230-pound tight end recalled. "My thought was that I was still going to play those sports, but after playing my first year of football, I really thought I had a shot at playing at the next level. So, I've kind of put all my eggs in one basket. I let go of both those (other) sports. I'm really focused on football. I've started working out and eating more, doing 7-on-7s. I'm all in with football.

"It was a grind, I'll be flat honest. I'd wake up at 5, going to work out with Andy Bale and get done about 6:30. Then I'd drive over to North Hall, do the leadership class from about 7 to 8, and I'd go home, have some breakfast and head on to early college. That's what it was. It's just a long day, (but) it definitely paid off in the end, for sure."

His success has also inspired him to help Pender convince some of his other baseball/basketball teammates like fellow rising seniors Korbyn Sosebee and Charlie Wright to follow his lead and come out for football.

In Sosebee's case, it didn't take much convincing, especially since he's had some football background, albeit many years ago.

"When I lived in White County, I played (youth football) when I was in about fourth grade," said the 6-0, 185-pound rising senior, who should contribute to the Trojans at receiver this fall. "That's about it. (The decision to return to football) does have a lot to do with Breckan and seeing him going out there his first year (in 2022) ... and have the success he had, as well as (Pender's) new coaching staff and being able to talk with them, having weight training classes with (offensive coordinator Keith) Goss and Coach Pender, ... made me want to come out there."

While Sosebee and Kirby should help shore up North Hall's already solid depth at the skill positions for the 2023 season, the Trojans should also get some help in the trenches from a couple of other newcomers.

Wright is another baseball player who should contribute on the defensive line, while fellow senior Zeke Ortiz appears to be a diamond in the rough who could be a factor on the offensive line this fall after being discovered by a few of the coaches in weight training class.

"I had no idea he was coming out (for the team)," Pender said. "(Defensive coordinator) Gary Mintier and Coach Keith Goss, they'd been talking to him quite a bit during weight training and the next thing you know, he decided to give it a shot.

"He just worked really hard in the weight room trying to build his body, and we asked him, 'Would you be interested?' He thought on it and said, 'Why not?'"