Cardinal Newman football squad adjusting to strange offseason

Will the Cardinal Newman football team have an opportunity to defend its 2019 CIF Division 3-AA state championship title this fall?

The answer is nobody knows, but veteran Cardinals coach Paul Cronin said he is hopeful his team will have the opportunity for a run at back-to-back titles should high school gridiron action return in 2020.

These are strange times, to say the least, for high school sports programs, which are grappling with issues that couldn’t be imagined prior to March. However, programs continue to move forward despite stay-at-home orders from government and health officials and the uncertainty of whether there will be a season.

Cardinal Newman is at the forefront of these efforts and in the usual spotlight, having reached the pinnacle of success last season. The Cardinals finished ranked 32nd overall in California and 334th nationally by MaxPreps.

Even by Cardinal Newman’s lofty standards, 2019 (14-1 overall and 5-0 in the North Bay League Oak Division) was a banner year. Led by senior quarterback Jackson Pavitt, the Cardinals won the NBL-Oak, ?took the North Coast Section Division 4 title with a thrilling 13-10 last-second win over visiting Marin Catholic, and finished the season as CIF Division 3-AA state champions after a 31-14 home win over El Camino of Oceanside.

“I was really happy for our players. It was really fun to see them accomplish that (winning state) and see them so excited for each other. Our seniors were really committed and we had great team leaders,” Cronin said of 2019. “You have to have some good fortune with injuries and we did. We were really healthy at the end of the season.”

Cronin - who begins his 17th season at the helm of the Cardinal Newman program (2003 through present) after beginning his head coaching career at his alma mater, Piner (1998-2002) - has implemented adjustments to the spring routine as dictated by circumstances.

Cronin and his coaches, along with other Cardinal Newman coaches, have been holding joint Zoom virtual workouts for players on school days from 7-8 a.m.

“It’s been different, but there have been some good things since we are more connected,” Cronin said. “Every sport is working out together.”

In a normal year, by rule, until the end of May only workouts are allowed, and beginning in June practices can begin. However, if there are still orders prohibiting team sports, then Cronin said he will continue the virtual workouts.

Another change has been having former Cardinal Newman players address the current team virtually rather than in person. This happened last week as former Cardinals star and University of Arizona and NFL player Scooby Wright addressed the team. Wright graduated from Cardinal Newman in 2013 and played in the XFL this year.

“Scooby talked about great lessons from ?college and the NFL. He shared stories that he remembered and how they changed him,” Cronin said. “When guys that played in the program come back it is very powerful, because they have great lessons. Experiences and relationships are the most important things that help you get better as human beings.”

Cronin said no one in the Cardinal Newman community that he knows of has contracted COVID-19. He added that his players are dealing with the new reality well and the seniors may have an advantage because they went through the 2017 season, when the school campus was partially closed during the season due to the damage caused by the Tubbs fire.

“Our seniors this year have had more experience in dealing with tragedy and adversity. They have adjusted really well to the new normal,” Cronin said. “2017 was a long year, lots of driving (to practices and games) and loss of routine.”

If games are played in the fall, Cardinal Newman will have a formidable team and will be the top dog again in Sonoma County. The Cardinals will have a triad of experience, talent and depth on the roster. They will have five three-year returning starters, and 60% of their 22 starters on both sides of the ball from last season are returning. The battle for starting quarterback, to replace the graduating Pavitt, will be robust.

“We have a really talented team coming back this year. Every year there are expectations for this program. We have always had a challenging preseason and this year is no different. Sonoma County has gotten better, which is fun because you are in more competitive games,” Cronin said. “To be in the conversation about winning another state championship, you have to focus on being better every day and focus on the right things.”

Cronin said he feels a sense of loss for spring sport athletes, especially seniors, who didn’t get to play this season.

“The spring 2020 athletes, I feel super bad for those kids. I feel for the seniors right now,” Cronin said. “Seniors are losing those memories. As a parent, if my kid missed an opportunity to play, I would be extremely disappointed.”

Cronin added he understands the circumstances that might lead to the season not being played or postponed.

“How do you figure out opportunities for the kids to play in the safest way possible? All sports will create a challenge with social distancing. Our job is to make sure we exhaust every opportunity before we start taking things away,” Cronin said. “CIF is saying, ‘Let’s wait until July before making a decision,’ and that is a good thing.”

Cronin, typical of a successful coach, said he is focusing on the positives rather than the negatives of the situation by taking things day-by-day.

“What can we do for these young men, right now” is his current focus. “My job is to teach and coach at Cardinal Newman High School. Whether we play in the fall is someone else’s decision to make. The important thing is to get the kids ready. I’m hopeful that the season in the (near) future is going to happen. Life is going to go on.”