ARNIE’S ARMY
Now in his 3rd year as Bishop’s Football Coach, Arnie Palu has his program on the rise
Bishop’s 6-0 victory over Ontario Christian last Friday night at John Schwab Field was a ballgame Vince Lombardi would have loved – a smashmouth, defensive struggle sealed with an interception by Luke McClean inside Bishop’s own 30-yard line with less than a minute to play.
The victory avenged last year’s 27- 17 loss to Ontario Christian.
In a close game, the extra conditioning, the extra players on the roster … they’re all critical. And Bronco Football Coach Arnie Palu feels like he’s got the horses, and the buy-in, to win a lot of games.
“This is my third year. The system’s in place. Our roster numbers are up (34 on the varsity roster, about double what he had in his first season). We’ve got year-round weight training. The kids get it. They know our expectations. We ask a lot of ‘em.” said Palu in a phone interview this week.
The Broncos are also bolstered by youth. The team has two returning sophomores who saw varsity action last year (Manny Talavera and Steven Paco) and eight returning juniors with varsity experience on the roster.
