The Week Of The Big Game:

The first day of the school week is, in Roberts's words, "the pivotal day." School lets out at 3:05 p.m. Practice begins 15 minutes later and does not end until about 6:30 p.m.

First the players watch videotape of last week's game. "We look at our mistakes, things we want to correct," says Roberts, "but also the things we did well." After about a half hour of this the team goes outside to apply their video lessons to the field of play. (Depending on the situation, the Dons may flip-flop the order of things and watch tape after practicing on the field.)

Unlike many other teams, which forgo pads on Thursday, a Wayne Roberts-coached team wears full pads every day, including Thursdays. Contact takes place every day, though on the day before a game there is no tackling and players move at what

Roberts calls "thump speed," less than full speed. Roberts introduces the Dons' offense and kicking game today, discussing how to exploit the defense they will face this week. Towards the end of practice Roberts briefly touches on his own team's defensive strategies, though most of that drilling will occur at tomorrow's practice.

Today is another long day of practice, again lasting until 6:30 p.m. Every practice begins with stretching and "strides," warm-up running drills at half to 3/4s speed.

Don players almost never hear something just once. Everything is reviewed and repeated, often to the team as a whole. Unlike yesterday, when the team watched tape together, part of today's practice is spent working in groups. Linebackers, linemen, defensive backs and others break off to work on specific areas related to their position.

As much as possible Roberts likes everyone to know what everyone else is doing on the team-in part because players such as Ryan Stevenson (Quarterback-Defensive Back), Chris Cicalla (Fullback-Linebacker), Jamie Records (Running Back-Linebacker), Marc Walker (Offensive and Defensive Line), and Andrew Ciampa (Center-Defensive Line) play on both offense and defense, while others serve as backups, but also because it promotes team unity. "We want all our kids to know what we're doing," says Roberts. "We want them to see everything."

The team reviews its kicking game and walks through the defensive scheme that was introduced the day before. The opponents' offensive plays are run against the defense. Come game-time Arroyo doesn't want to be caught off guard by any formations or plays it hasn't seen before. Work continues on the passing game, with a repetition of basic plays and perhaps adding a new wrinkle or two, followed by some camaraderie-building team conditioning drills. When field practice concludes the players adjourn to watch tape of their opponent's last game.

Wednesday is "Game Day" practice with simulated game situations involving both the varsity and junior varsity teams. Working off a script crafted by Roberts, the two teams alternate roles, playing defense or offense depending on what the script calls for. They move on and off the field, run (or defend) plays, work on certain situations in different places on the field and at different times in the game, practice on-side kicks and quick kicks, prevent defense, protecting a lead with two minutes to go, and many other scenarios.

"We go over all the different things that can happen in a game," says Roberts of the drill, which may last 45 minutes. "Just getting on and off the field correctly can be a big thing in high school, making sure all the players know their roles."

The day before a game is review day. After stretching and strides come repetitions. Players break into groups and work on skills at chop-chop speed, for about 20 minutes. "The idea is to get as many reps as you possibly can," says Roberts. Receivers run routes and quarterbacks throw. Long snappers hike. Kickers kick. Linemen run through plays without the backs involved.

All this hard work-the hours of practice, preparation and repetition-is done so that players don't think about what they need to do during the game, they just do it.

Game day. If the game is at night like this Friday's big showdown against San Leandro High, players are expected to go home after school and rest. Those who need to be taped must report back to Arroyo's team room by 4:45 p.m., everyone else by 5:15 p.m. Opening kickoff is at 7:30. Now it is time to play. The long practices are over and the preparation is done-until next Monday, when it all starts over again.