Combine grooms players for future

[E.T.]

Combine grooms players for future

By STEVE LEE

Published December 12, 2006

NEW PORT RICHEY - Making players faster and stronger is only the half of it for trainer Rob Oppedisano, who hopes to land his first group of seniors in college football programs.

Oppedisano, a 1983 Hudson graduate who played baseball and basketball there, played both sports at Pasco-Hernando Community College, and baseball at Saint Leo. The 40-year-old also coached men's basketball at PHCC and Saint Leo, leaving the coaching ranks to become a sports and strength conditioning specialist.

On Saturday at Gulf's W.D. "Des" Little Stadium, Oppedisano conducted his fourth high school football combine in the past three seasons. Two were at River Ridge in 2004 and another was at Gulf last December.

Hudson senior running back Jake McFadden, whose 40-yard dash time has dropped from 4.8 seconds to 4.6 since he began training with Oppedisano as a sophomore, has been to several of the trainer's camps, including Saturday's.

"Besides the benching part, it was fun," said McFadden, who bench-pressed 185 pounds 16 times. "My arms were fried."

McFadden, Pasco County's second-leading rusher (1,473 yards) this fall, said Oppedisano is communicating with college coaches to help him land a scholarship. McFadden's top choices are Florida Atlantic (which moves to Division I next fall) and Assumption in Worcester, Mass.

[highlight]Gulf senior receiver Shawn Williamson also has attended Oppedisano's combines for three years. He hopes to get into USF, where Gulf quarterback Alton Voss has committed.[/highlight]

"This year, with McFadden and Williamson coming through, we're trying to get these guys placed," Oppedisano said.

Like McFadden, Williamson's times in speed and agility drills have dropped since attending the combines.

"Every time I go there he makes my times improve," Williamson said.

"I had no technique in my running. He taught me just about everything."

Oppedisano said conducting the combine at this time of year is ideal for players.

"We try to get them right after the season," he said. "I want to get the latest results as possible."

First-year River Ridge coach Tim Stevens had two of his players, Shawn Ford and Ryan Grace, attend the combine. Stevens hopes more Royal Knights attend in the future.

"It's a good thing to see how (players) match up with kids from other schools and see how much they've got to improve," Stevens said.