The biggest questions surrounding the Scott Community High School football team in the upcoming season will be their offensive line.
Unfortunately, none of those were answered during last week’s summer camp.
“It was a pretty productive week for the skilled boys and it was a chance to see how well our defensive ends are coming off the edge,” says head coach Glenn O’Neil.
“You can’t really learn much about the linemen when they don’t have an opportunity to make contact and dominate people on either side of the ball.”
That’s not to say it was a lost week for the prospective linemen. Most of their week was devoted to repetitions and seeing how quickly they can make decisions with respect to blocking schemes or reading the opposing offense.
“The O-line has to understand the basic schemes. They have a ways to go before they are going to impress us,” O’Neil says. “We won’t get a feel for our offensive line until they can get pads on.”
However, with senior Jake Drohman the only returning starter, the coaching staff will be challenged as they prepare this group for varsity action. In that respect, O’Neil and his coaching staff are expecting more than knowledge and fundamental skills from their new line.
“We want them to come to the practice field each day with a chip on their shoulder. With so many new faces, they haven’t earned the respect from our opponents,” says the head coach. “They have to play meaner and prove they can follow in the footsteps of last year’s linemen.”
The coaching staff may be slightly more comfortable with the defensive line only because a couple of players have had limited varsity experience.
Luke Hayes (6-4, 215, jr.) has the length as a defensive end to make it difficult to run around or throw the ball over him on screens. At the other end will be junior Colborn Couchman (6-1, 185) who O’Neil rates as perhaps the most improved player on the team. That’s saying a lot since Couchman was already a bruising fullback and a tough-nosed defensive player last year.
He’s added 15-20 pounds since last year, to go along with added quickness and strength. He owns the weight room record in the 20 yard dash.
“He’s not only big and strong, but he’s very quick for 20 yards,” says O’Neil. “And he’s been one of our hardest workers in the weight room this summer.”
Having graduated both inside linebackers from last year, the Beavers are searching for replacements for this critical position in their defensive scheme. O’Neil says there are 3-4 boys who will be challenging for the two openings, but he points out they face a difficult task filling in for boys who were two- and three-year starters.
“Until they put on a helmet and pads, we don’t know how intimidating they can be,” says the coach. “They have the athletic ability. We’ll have to see how quickly they can get to the ball and read their keys. And that comes with repetitions.”
There were 56 boys taking part in the week-long camp, with about 60 expected for the start of two-a-day practices on Aug. 16.
“Of course, we don’t have 60 football players - at least not yet,” O’Neil says. “There are a lot of boys who have to get bigger, faster and stronger - and they need to develop the kind of work ethic we expect in order to be a successful team.
“Overall, we’re pretty pleased with what we were able to accomplish with the older boys,” he adds. “The younger boys have to learn what it means to be accountable. Can your teammates count on you to be where you need to be on a given play? Are you willing to make the commitment that it takes to make this team special?”
The newcomers, and even some who haven’t played at the varsity levels, are facing those questions. They will begin finding the answers on Aug. 16.