Football Preview: Shay pleas for Riverhead team unity
In his short time as Bishop McGann-Mercy’s new coach, former NFL quarterback Mike Buck has become familiar with the peculiarities of coaching at a small, private school on eastern Long Island. With his players coming from different towns, the team’s practice schedule works around a bus schedule.
“It’s definitely a unique situation,” he said.
That has pluses and minuses, said Buck, 47, who played six NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints (1990-93), the Arizona Cardinals (1995) and the Miami Dolphins (1996). A product of Sayville High School who went on to play for the University of Maine, Buck went into coaching after his professional playing career ended. He coached teams in the Arena Football League. At the high school level, he coached at Calhoun High School and Bay Shore High School.
Buck has his work cut out for him at McGann-Mercy. The Monarchs (1-7) did not win a game on the field last year, their sole mark in the win column coming courtesy of a forfeit by Southampton.
But the Monarchs still have one of their top players back, senior running back/safety Reggie Archer.
“He’s impressed me more as a human being more than as a football player at how great of a kid he is,” Buck said. “He really is a special kind of kid.”
Senior tight end/linebacker Andy Glasgow, senior lineman Ken Berman, junior wide receiver/safety Marco Sciara and junior quarterback Kevin Santacroce are also returning starters. Wide receiver/defensive back Jack Pavelchak also has varsity experience.
The Monarchs hope to be helped by players from a junior varsity team that went 4-4 the last two years.
In an interview last week, Buck said he was trying to evaluate what the team has and how to make best use of his players’ talents.
“We’re just trying to put them in the best position possible,” he said. “You really need to be on the same page with football because you have to know what you’re doing.”
