Position battles heating up spring football work
4/10/2010 4:34:00 AM | Football
HUNTSVILLE - Battles for almost every position on the field for the Sam Houston State football team will make the first scrimmage of 2010 spring drills exciting. Saturday's scrimmage will begin with some kicking drills, then Sam Houston will run about 70 plays, covering all the different scenarios the Bearkats might face in a real game.
"We are going to do some situational work," SHSU head coach Willie Fritz said on Thursday. "We are going to have officials here so we want to take advantage of that. We are going to work on overtime stuff. We are going to put the ball at the goal line and work on coming out and going in.
"After that we are going to put the ball at the 35 (yard line) and scrimmage. We want to try and get 70 plays in."
Today's scrimmage could be the most important of the spring, especially for the six quarterbacks competing for the starting job.
Fritz said that his staff would make a decision on who was going to play quarterback and who was going to be moved to different positions to help utilize their talents following today's workout.
Seniors Bryan Randolph and Greg Sprowls, redshirt freshmen Kyle Webster and Tyler Copeland and transfer Kenneth Cluley will all take snaps under center today. Junior Jeff Welch, who is coming off a knee injury, is being held out of contact drills this spring.
"We aren't sure who is going to be the quarterback now," Fritz said. "We are going to go two-hand touch on Saturday, but the quarterbacks will be live in our final two scrimmages because we need to see what they can do.
"There are a few guys that are going to be moved to a different position after Saturday's scrimmage because we can't have that many guys trying to get work in. We are going to give them some repetitions, but it won't be equal. Everybody's not on the same level. We have had six practices, so they have all had a chance to get some work in."
One of the toughest things this spring has been installing a new offense under offensive coordinator Bob Debesse. The Bearkats have slowly been implementing the new system and it should pick up as the players get more work in full pads.
There are some new formations and the terminology is different, but the guys are starting to grasp it.
"It's coming along. Of course the first two weeks is install, but we are learning," Randolph said. "We got some transfer guys in so obviously there are some issues with timing. We might be in a no-back formation, then we are double tight.
"There is a little variation of everything. We like to throw the ball around and are going to be pretty balanced this year."
The defense was in the same boat as the offense last spring when defensive coordinator Scott Stoker brought his blitzing schemes to Sam Houston.
With a full year of learning now under their belts, the Bearkat defenders have settled into the system, so don't be surprised if the defense controls the tempo of today's scrimmage.
"I feel like this defense is now second nature. That is how everybody is feeling," linebacker Will Henry said. "We have been in position and everyone is swarming to the ball. We are giving great effort on every single play like coach Stoker told us.
"I'm really looking forward to Saturday to see who is going to help us out offensive- and defensive-wise."
This will be the first of two scrimmages this spring for the Bearkats before the annual Orange-White game which will conclude spring practice on April 24. All scrimmages and the Orange-White game are free and open to the public.
For information about the spring game, go to Orange-White Spring Game, April 24, 9:30 a.m.
The night before the game (Friday, April 23), the opportunity to coach either the Orange or the White teams will be one of the items on the block at the 22nd annual SHSU Football Dinner and Auction starting at 5:30 p.m. at the HEARTS Veterans Conference Center off state highway 75 North. Go to SHSU Football Dinner and Auction link for more information.
For information or to purchase tickets to the 2010 Sam Houston-SFA game at Reliant Stadium in Houston in October, go to Battle of the Piney Woods.
