Conversation with WG/O-M football coach Lou Condon Jr.

Lou Condon Jr., 33, was recently named head coach of the newly combined Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour varsity football team. Condon coached Watkins Glen the previous four seasons, guiding the Senecas to a 5-3 record in 2014. He is a 1999 graduate of Corning West High School.

The modified and varsity teams at the schools were combined this winter after Odessa-Montour had its 2014 season cut short after two games because it didn't have enough players.

Former Odessa-Montour varsity head coach Jack McCauley was named one of the team's assistant coaches. The team's nickname of Seneca Indians combines the nicknames from the two high schools. Watkins Glen/O-M will play in Class C's Division V of the Section 4 Football Conference and opens its regular season at Owego Free Academy on Sept. 4, with its first home game the following weekend against Elmira Notre Dame. Pending board approval, each high school will host two Saturday night varsity games.

Question: Given the crowds we've seen at the Bucket Game between Watkins Glen and O-M, it's obvious there's a lot of enthusiasm for football at the two schools. How do you think that will carry over into the new program?

Answer: I think the excitement will carry over. The two communities, they loved the rivalry for so many years. I think the excitement of the kids at both schools and the excitement of the districts in general will spread through the community and the kids will spread that as well. Overall, I think people are on board and excited, especially once it gets closer and the season gets here.

Q: What went through your mind when you found out you were named football coach?

A: I was very excited. As I said, I appreciate the support of both school districts and their school boards. I feel as though I've worked pretty hard, along with the staff, to build the foundation of a program at Watkins. Now we're going to be able to grow as an entire program along with O-M kids. I'm very grateful.

Q: What is the biggest challenge the teams face in combining?

A: I think the biggest thing is trying to find time to accommodate both schedules. With spring sports right now, it's tough enough in one district. But when you have two districts. ... a lot of kids in small school districts play multiple sports. The biggest challenge right now is time — finding open time for both schools. It's exciting and I think the kids are anxious, the coaches are anxious. One of the biggest challenges is having to iron out all the details.

Q: What are you most excited about with the combined team?

A: It's unfortunate they had so few numbers (at O-M), but I think they have some serious athletes up there who have kind of gone unnoticed because of their circumstances. If we're able to combine them with the athletes we have at Watkins, I think it's very exciting. We lost a lot this year as far as (running backs) Jon Brown and Keith (Rekczis). I'm not saying we'll be able to get a Jon or Keith, but if we soften the blow and find some good athletes who lessen the blow, it's very exciting as a coach.

Q: What feedback have you received from the schools, players and parents?

A: They're really excited, I think. We held a parents meeting and unfortunately with spring sports, we had 30 to 32 kids show up for the meeting along with 50 to 60 parents. But with baseball games going on and track meets, to have that kind of turnout four months before the start of the season says a lot of people are really excited.

Q: What did you learn from the meeting?

A: The biggest thing that came away was we were able to open up lines of communication between coaches and parents. Parents had some legitimate questions, more so along the lines of how things are going to work, where practices will be located, things along those lines. The parents are just as excited as the kids and coaches are because we have a chance to be part of something that's going to be great for this area.

Q: How big is it to have Jack McCauley on your staff?

A: There's no question, Jack brings a wealth of experience. More so than anything else, he brings a difference of opinion. Obviously, Jack's been a head coach for a long time. I respect Jack a great deal and think he's only going to make us better by having him around.

Q: Have you sought any advice from other coaches who have led combined programs?

A: I've reached out to some coaches and asked them to get some ideas of how they handled certain things. From everything I've been told, I've gotten some pretty good ideas. One thing I pride myself on is I'm not too proud or afraid to ask other people who have experience in other things to get advice and hopefully make the transition as smooth as possible.

Q: Looking at the schedule, is there anything that stands out?

A: I like the idea that they're having us play up against (Class B) Owego. I think they're a really, really tough program, a strong program. Coach (Steve) Virkler has done a great job over there. They kind of took the division Odessa was in and the division that Watkins was in and kind of put them together. That was kind of nice. We're not playing anyone we haven't seen in the past; we're playing a lot of familiar teams.

Q: We've seen more combined football teams, including Elmira and Corning, in Section 4 in recent years. Is that good or bad for the sport?

A: I definitely view it as a good thing. Granted Corning and Elmira are bigger schools, but both programs have had a lot of success. We hope to follow in their footsteps. The biggest thing is opportunity for numbers. Our roster size was 29, Odessa was 16 and they lost a couple. We're looking at possibly a roster size of 40 to 45 student-athletes. As a football coach, that's fantastic, especially given the last couple of years, where we were above 20 but below 30. It gives every kid in Schuyler County the opportunity to play football in high school and I'm glad they made the move.

On Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare