Coaches learn about team after first scrimmage

Jamestown QB J.J. Boyd showed great poise in the pocket against Potomac.

By John Harvey

HarveySports757@yahoo.com

                                     

WILLIAMSBURG – There are plenty of fresh faces in new places on the gridiron on greater Williamsburg, and high school football fans got a glimpse of what to expect last Friday during the first scrimmage of the season.

Jamestown – Coach Lee Williams gave his young team a taste of what Class 4A football is all about as the Eagles scrimmaged Potomac High, a very talented 5A school from Woodbridge, at Sanford B. Wanner Stadium.

Williams said the team lost more than a dozen starters from last year’s team, including most of its offensive line and skill position players.

The youthful exuberance was on display against the Panthers, as Williams said his team had an up-and-down day.

“Things went slow in the scrimmage for us,” he said. “Our young guys had some trouble with the intensity of the other team. We’ll try to build on this to be more correct in our assignments and work on bringing a better intensity to the game.”

 Defensively, there were some players that really stood out. Safety Caden Darber wasn’t afraid of getting his nose dirty against the run and had a great game. Williams said linebackers De’Marjia Lewis and Zach Pennycuff led the team in tackles.

Offensively, first-year quarterback J.J. Boyd showed great poise under center a

s the Eagles look to find cohesion up front. “He showed toughness and will likely to continue to reach his potential as the season moves on,” Williams said “He was able to make some things happen, even though he had a lot of pressure on him every play.”

Williams said he was proud of his team’s fight. “I was impressed by the toughness of some of our players and how they responded to the intensity brought by the other team,” he said. “My older guys did a decent job of keeping our young guy’s heads up as we moved through. They realize it’ll be a tough road, but we will continue to get better.”

Bruton – Coach Reggie Jones took his team to Essex for their first scrimmage under his command.

A long-time assistant coach at Bruton, Jones said the scrimmage went just as planned. “We moved the ball on the ground and the offensive line protected the quarterback and provided lanes for the running backs,” he said. “Defensively, we were active, swarming to the ball.”

Jones said that running back Isaiah Williams and fullback Chris Faavi really executed well. He was also pleased with the precision and toughness that the offensive line showed.

 Ian Gruver (center) was one of the defensive standouts.

Defensively, cornerback Zack Uvodich and linebackers DeAndre Kissoon, Daniel Jones and Ian Gruver made may big plays.

Jones said that one of the big areas the team must focus on is communication on both sides of the ball. Defensively, they had some alignment issues, which will get worked out. Offensively, Jones said the coordination between the quarter and receivers must get better.

Still, he was happy with what he saw. “It was typical Bruton High School football,” Jones said. “I liked how we competed and executed for the majority of the scrimmage. The best part of the day is we all walked off the field and no one sustained a major injury.”

Warhill – First-year coach Thad Wheeler took his team to Richmond to face Matoaca and Monacan in a three-team scrimmage.

Collin Bright showed great speed running the ball.

A program in transition, the Lions held their own against more experienced and battle-tested opponents.

Offensively, Warhill struggled on its first possession, but after that, were able to move the ball pretty well. Running back Collin Bright and wideout Keron Dedmon, members of the Lions’ state champion 4x100-meter relay team, ran the ball with authority and showed great burst

Up front, the Lions are a work in progress on a unit with no returning starters, Clayton Osterloh, who split time at quarterback and tight end last year, provided a spark at the point of attack

Defensively, Bryce Koob, Trevon Loftin and Lecroy Nixon played with a lot of energy and rallied to the ball. 

Contact me at HarveySports757@yahoo.com or @HarveySports757 via Twitter.