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I had the chance to speak with St. Thomas Aquinas Head Coach Rocco Casullo on a number of things including the team's focus level after winning the state title last season, the young talent at Aquinas, and some prospects on Miami's radar.
Q: How are you making sure the team's mindset is where it needs to be after winning the 7A state title last year?
Casullo: I think the seniors have done a great job in the offseason of continuing what the seniors from last year left off. The leadership has been outstanding, the workouts in February, March, and April were really aggressive and it’s good chemistry. I owe it to these seniors and our staff is very happy with what we see.
Q: What will the identity of the offense look like this season?
Casullo: It’s kind of whatever is working, run with it. Whatever the defense is presenting and what we can do is what we’ll do. We have a very good receiving core, a very good running back core with Madre (London) and Deltron Sands, Corey Holmes at receiver with some young guys stepping up. If the offensive line stays healthy, we’d like to run the ball more so we’ll just see what happens.
Q: Every year you guys are putting out top division-1 prospects. Who are some younger guys ready to take that next step for your team?
Casullo: I think you have to look at our junior class with Deltron Sands at running back, Davonte Peete at receiver, and then defensively we’re very young with Tyson Cisrow at safety, James Oliphant at corner. Those guys need to step up because they’re young. It’s their turn. They’ve had a great spring and a great first week of camp so they’re going to really going to have to mature.
Q: Talk about the growth you've seen from Nick Linder over the past couple of years.
Casullo: Nick has a lot of Brandon in him and what I mean by that is they are leaders not only on the field, but off the field. Nick is a very tough kid, as was Brandon. He’s probably the anchor of that offensive line and makes all the calls and he’s very intelligent. He’s got a motor and goes 100% on every play.
Q: It seems like every year you have a player or two going into their senior season who is being under recruited. Do you have anyone like that this season?
Casullo: It’s Ryan Crozier. I think this kid is mean. He’s 6’4”, 280 and he’s getting minimal interest, but I think that teams need to pull the trigger on him ASAP because he’s a kid with a ton of potential and he will be very good at the next level.
Q: What kind of season are you expecting from Anthony Moten? It's his defensive line with Joey Bosa gone.
Casullo: I look at Anthony and he’s gotta be that (Joey) Bosa from last year, where the defense will follow his lead and he knows that. He’s gotta mature and be a leader and that’s what we’re expecting him to do.
Q: Anthony told me he was trying to put recruiting on the back burner to focus on the season. Is that something you like to see?
Casullo: I would like all these guys to commit before the season and most of them have done that. The only two that haven’t are Anthony and Madre, but I’ve been in touch with Anthony’s parents and he likes what’s going on there with Coach Golden. He’s starting to understand that he has a chance to play there immediately and we’ll see what happens. I would like for him to make a decision as soon as possible, but if he doesn’t, he doesn’t.
Q: How are you making sure the team's mindset is where it needs to be after winning the 7A state title last year?
Casullo: I think the seniors have done a great job in the offseason of continuing what the seniors from last year left off. The leadership has been outstanding, the workouts in February, March, and April were really aggressive and it’s good chemistry. I owe it to these seniors and our staff is very happy with what we see.
Q: What will the identity of the offense look like this season?
Casullo: It’s kind of whatever is working, run with it. Whatever the defense is presenting and what we can do is what we’ll do. We have a very good receiving core, a very good running back core with Madre (London) and Deltron Sands, Corey Holmes at receiver with some young guys stepping up. If the offensive line stays healthy, we’d like to run the ball more so we’ll just see what happens.
Q: Every year you guys are putting out top division-1 prospects. Who are some younger guys ready to take that next step for your team?
Casullo: I think you have to look at our junior class with Deltron Sands at running back, Davonte Peete at receiver, and then defensively we’re very young with Tyson Cisrow at safety, James Oliphant at corner. Those guys need to step up because they’re young. It’s their turn. They’ve had a great spring and a great first week of camp so they’re going to really going to have to mature.
Q: Talk about the growth you've seen from Nick Linder over the past couple of years.
Casullo: Nick has a lot of Brandon in him and what I mean by that is they are leaders not only on the field, but off the field. Nick is a very tough kid, as was Brandon. He’s probably the anchor of that offensive line and makes all the calls and he’s very intelligent. He’s got a motor and goes 100% on every play.
Q: It seems like every year you have a player or two going into their senior season who is being under recruited. Do you have anyone like that this season?
Casullo: It’s Ryan Crozier. I think this kid is mean. He’s 6’4”, 280 and he’s getting minimal interest, but I think that teams need to pull the trigger on him ASAP because he’s a kid with a ton of potential and he will be very good at the next level.
Q: What kind of season are you expecting from Anthony Moten? It's his defensive line with Joey Bosa gone.
Casullo: I look at Anthony and he’s gotta be that (Joey) Bosa from last year, where the defense will follow his lead and he knows that. He’s gotta mature and be a leader and that’s what we’re expecting him to do.
Q: Anthony told me he was trying to put recruiting on the back burner to focus on the season. Is that something you like to see?
Casullo: I would like all these guys to commit before the season and most of them have done that. The only two that haven’t are Anthony and Madre, but I’ve been in touch with Anthony’s parents and he likes what’s going on there with Coach Golden. He’s starting to understand that he has a chance to play there immediately and we’ll see what happens. I would like for him to make a decision as soon as possible, but if he doesn’t, he doesn’t.
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