Message to the 2014 Team

As many of you may have heard, I am taking a leave of absence for the upcoming season. With the birth of my son, and the distances I travel on a daily basis for work and practice, the time constraints just make it too difficult to serve and commit to my family and the football team the way that I should and want to. I've always pledged to never put coaching ahead of my family, just as I preach to the team a family first philosophy. This is a case where that philosophy is being put to the test for me personally. My intent to is be back next year with more passion than ever after a year away from the sport and team I love.  The goal for me, personally, this year is to provide everything my child and wife need during this important first year of his life; to work out the logistics of how I can make coaching work in the future so that a return will be seamless in 2015. I did not want to get into a situation where I was coaching and then had to step away from my duties at any time - leaving the team and coaching staff in a position to scramble to make up for my absence. I have the utmost trust in the current coaching staff that is in place - they are great coaches and even better men. I know the team will thrive and continue to work toward everything we've espoused over the last few years. The fact of the matter is, however, that it is not my absence, or the current coaching staff, that will determine the success of the 2014 tiger football team. As always, the team will be what THE PLAYERS want it to be! The values of the program will not change, nor will the attributes that make a successful team. I know that the coaches have laid out a plan for the improvement and development of this team - academically, socially and athletically. The chance to BE BETTER than ever before awaits the commitment of the players.

This was not a decision that was taken lightly. I will miss the pre-season planning. I will miss the two-a-days in August. I will miss the Friday night lights. Most of all though, I will miss the people that I spend every day with, from August to December. Without football, my travels don't often take me to South Hadley so I felt it important to send this message. Please know that I will be your biggest fan and your staunchest defender as you prove everyone wrong about what this team is capable of next season.

To the players: The team will never be as good as it can be until you care about the success of your teammates as much as your care about your own success. You will be presented with opportunities, daily, to Be Better. It's what you do with those opportunities, individually and as a team, that will make all the difference in the world. 

181 days until E.L. !!

Best of Luck
Coach Scammons

Football Players & Coach to be honored

The 2013-14 All-Scholastic (aka All WMASS) Banquet, hosted by National Football Foundation (NFF) Western Mass Chapter, will be recognizing 5 of our players: Josh Hooper, Pat Sears, Peter Luchini and TJ Fitzell were selected to the All-Scholastic team. In addition, Pat Sears and Riley Baker will be honored as ALL-ACADEMIC students for their contributions and achievement off the field in the classroom and community! Furthermore, a South Hadley COACH will also be recognized: Coach Ferro will be one of the retired coaches that is honored and rewarded for his MANY years of dedicated service to and achievement in the coaching avocation.

Tickets are free for award recipients, but family, friends and teammates may attend. If you are interested in attending to support our players and/or Coach Ferro, you can contact A.I.C. Assistant Athletic Director, Mary Akers, at 413-205-3534. Tickets are $25.00 per person and please mention you are with South Hadley so we can get reserved seats/tables. I believe you can reserve a ticket and pay for it at the door.

The Banquet is SUNDAY, APRIL 6 at 5:00 PM at the UMASS STUDENT UNION

IMPORTANT: Football Banquet Info

The Potluck Football Banquet is scheduled for Sunday, January 12th from 2-5pm at the MES Middle School. 

Each family is asked to bring a dish and to let us know how many family members will be attending. This will help us prepare to set up enough tables and chairs and to help keep from having too many of the same dishes.  Please be sure to bring a serving spoon.

Below you will find which Class is responsible for what type of dish and who you should send a response to. 

Please send in your response by Sunday, January 5th. 

Senior - Main Course  - Eva Watras - evawatras@comcast.net

Junior - Salads/Bread/Rolls - Donna Lucia - dmlucia@comcast.net

Sophomore - Sides/Appetizer - Rich Fleming - Rich0851@yahoo.com or 
                                                        Joni Fleming - joni.fleming@era.com

Freshman - Desert - Suzanne Marx - rmarx2@aol.com

Housekeeping Info

As the season quickly comes to a close this Thursday, with our Thanksgiving Day match-up against Chicopee Comp, I wanted to make sure everyone was informed about the end of year process for collecting equipment.

In the past, we have chosen one day, after Thanksgiving, to turn in ALL equipment. This method has left me often chasing kids who did not make that one day.

This year, we are having three Turn-in Times:

1. Wednesday before practice, ALL players should turn in the following clean/laundered items:
   - White Game Shirt
   - Practice pants
   - Practice shirts

2. Thursday after the game, ALL players will turn in the following items:
   - Helmets (without mouthpieces)
   - Shoulder pads

3. Saturday at 9:00 am ALL players will turn in the following clean/laundered items:
   - Black Game shirt
   - Game pants
   - Belt
   - Girdle
   - Thigh & Knee Pads

** IMPORTANT: If you cannot make the 9:00 am turn in on Saturday, please arrange for a teammate or family member to drop off the required equipment in a bag w/ your name on it. Please let Coach Scammons know ahead of time to be expecting this so he can account for you and your equipment. 

Anyone who does not turn-in equipment as of 9:00 am on SATURDAY, NOV. 30th, will have their locks cut-off (if equipment is left in a locker) and a bill sent home for the cost of the missing equipment. 

Thank you for understanding the importance of collecting, reconditioning and securing our equipment and uniforms for future use. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated in this important process.

PATRIOTS RAFFLE RETURN

Parent Reps will be collecting the Patriots Raffle Tickets and Money after each of the following practices:

MONDAY, NOV. 18th
TUESDAY, NOV. 19th
THURSDAY, NOV. 21st

All players are responsible for the ten tickets they were issued. If you have not sold your 10 raffle tickets, please make a late push to do so. This was our only fundraiser for the year and it is crucial that we make the most of it.

Football Schedule Update 2.0

After a heart breaking loss in the first round of the 2013 playoffs, we have been added to the pool of non-playoff teams for re-scheduling.

This week (Fri. Nov. 15th) we will play Holyoke HS @ HOME at 6 pm.

As a result of this added game, the Freshman game originally scheduled for Nov. 15th @ Chicopee Comp has been re-scheduled to SATURDAY, NOV. 16th at 10:00 AM @ Chicopee Comp. The bus will depart SHHS at 8:45 AM.

Also, the start time of  JV game scheduled for NOV. 18th @ Chicopee Comp has been changed to 4:00 PM. The bus will depart SHHS at 2:45 PM.

Football Schedule Update 1.0

With the playoff's starting this Friday, we have begun essentially a new season. The schedule, at this point, is very fluid and the "Who, When and Where" we play next week will be determined by whether we win or lose this week.

This Friday we will be traveling to Dalton, MA to face Wahconah, for a Superbowl rematch, in the first round of the state playoff system. The game is scheduled for 6 PM Friday with the bus departing the high school at 3:15 PM.

Because of this schedule, and the need for all coaches and many Freshman players, the Freshman game scheduled against Chicopee this Friday has been cancelled.

What happens next?

1. If we win, we will move to the next round of playoffs facing the winner of the Agawam/Northampton game.

2. If we lose, we will be put into the pool of non-playoff teams for re-scheduling. We will learn who our opponent will be by Sunday.

I will try to update our calendar as I get information. Thanks for all of the support throughout the year!!