By Darrren Cooper / Record Sports
This year, Glen Rock is watching the clock.
The theme for the Panthers this season is Time, but it’s not being thought of as the traditional coach’s cliché. Coach Jim Kurz has broken down the word with the T standing for teammate and how the I comes before the Me.
Entering his 11th season, Kurz has always taken the big-picture approach where each day is a challenge and the goal is to get better at every opportunity. If his team can improve every day and be great teammates to one another, he feels the wins will come.
On the field, there are few more consistent programs that Glen Rock. A lot of schools talk about winning traditions, but for Glen Rock it’s not just talk. The Panthers have just two losing seasons this decade (one year, they were 4-5). Kurz finds a way to get the most out of what he has.
“The challenge is to utilize every single player you need in every possible way,” Kurz said.
Like many schools, there has been a drop-off in participation (there were years when Glen Rock had 70 players; last year there were 45) but Kurz has adjusted some of his offseason expectations and has found that even though there may be fewer kids, those kids are committed.
Thanks to a big freshman class, Kurz is hoping for a roster in the mid-50s and to play at three levels. He said the participation this summer was outstanding.
Glen Rock always keeps football in the right perspective. They have a tradition of winning, and this year they hope it’s their time.
The tradition
Glen Rock has won seven sectional titles since the current playoff system was created, including five in a row from 1998-2002.
The Panthers went undefeated in both 1996 and 1999 and have qualified for the playoffs six times this decade.
One of the best Glen Rock traditions is assistant coach Mike Line’s wife, Diana, presenting the players with a fresh, homemade cake in the locker room after every game.
The challenge
Kurz knows that numbers are always a factor. This year he has around 18 freshmen and a large senior class.
He said one challenge is dealing with the constant fluctuation, but he doesn’t dwell on that too much. In the NJIC, the league is so balanced that one injury can impact an entire season.
Expectations
The Panthers were 5-1 last season, but lost their last three games.
They figure to be a factor in the NJIC race, like always. No one looks at Glen Rock on their schedule and thinks “easy W,” nor should they.
