A Work In Progess
8/14/2013 12:40:00 PM | Football
While the 2013 Sam Houston football team definitely is still a work in progress, head coach Willie Fritz and his staff are pleased with the progress the squad is making as the Kats head to towards the end of their second week of preseason camp.
Saturday morning the Bearkats will hold their second scrimmage of preseason camp at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium. A major focus for the staff continues to be the offensive line and defensive secondary where new faces dominate the first unit.
Last Monday night's scrimmage definitely was productive. Defensively the Kats looked sharp.
Michael Wade, Chris Grett and DeAntrey Loche saw plenty of action in the secondary with the first team defense.
Anchoring the defensive line were Andrew Weaver and Jarrett Brown at the ends and Gary Lorance and Forbes Baggett in the middle.
“Monday we had a pretty good day in the scrimmage,” Wade, who blocked a punt during special teams work early, said. “We didn't give up too much. We've got a lot of young guys stepping up, showing what they can do. We've got people proving themselves.”
Sam Houston's defense has been one of the best not only in the Southland but in the nation during the past two seasons as the Kats have won back-to-back championships and advanced twice to the national championship finals.
“The defense is not too much different than what we had before,” Wade said. “We have some older guys that know a lot and talk to the younger players and coach them up. We've got a lot of coaches on the field. We're getting better every day.”
Offensively in Monday's scrimmage senior quarterback Brian Bell did well connecting with receivers Chance Nelson and Torrance Williams. Williams also returned punts.
“We're making some strides,” Bell said. “We've got a lot of new guys and hopefully we keep moving forward.”
Redshirt freshmen Don King III and Jared Johnson both took snaps along with true freshman John Roderique.
“Those four guys have really looked good,” Fritz said. “It's exciting to have a great senior quarterback like Brian and three talented young guys who can learn the position from and with Brian. Don, Jared and John are three dynamite quarterbacks.”
Donald Jackson III is the lone returning starter in the offensive line. John Trotter, Zachary Stevens, Matt Boyles and Brandon DeWitt have joined the number one group.
“Our first unit looks solid,” Fritz said. “They're going to get better and better each and every week. We're not real big but we have some good feet. What we've got to do is get three or four guys who can back up our starters and get some depth. We need to get that sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth guy ready to go.”
Sam Houston opens the 2013 season on Saturday Aug. 31 when the Bearkats play host to Houston Baptist in a 6 p.m. game at Bowers Stadium.
Both season ticket packages and single game seats for all seven home games plus the Nov. 2 “Battle of the Piney Woods” with SFA at Reliant Stadium are on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com and the SHSU athletic ticket office.
For more information call or visit the ticket office. The telephone number is (936) 294-1729. Hours for the ticket office, which is located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone of the stadium, are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
