Friday, Jun. 06, 2008

Spring Ball Closes Out Strong

Summer Football Plans Continue Improvement Process

By Zach Warner

Staff Writer

As is the case each year, the Carroll football team’s strength and efficiency as a unit becomes a work in progress during the spring ball season.

Teams are never 100 percent ready when they finish spring practice and take off their helmets and pads after the final scrimmage. The journey has only begun and more work is necessary between May and August to be ready for the fall season.

However, Dragons coach Hal Wasson is pleased with the course his team took this spring and the progress made during its four weeks of practice.

"I really feel good about this team," said Wasson, whose team conducted its annual Spring Game inter-squad scrimmage at Dragon Stadium on May 29. "They’ve got a great workmanlike attitude. They continue to get better and grow with each practice.

"We had our goals set and I am really pleased with where we were when we finished," he said. "We’re not near content, obviously, because we need to shore up the consistency aspect. … I feel strongly that this is a team that you’ll see grow and get better and better throughout the season."

The overall assessment doesn’t come as much of a surprise: The defense looks especially strong while the offense is improving and working out some kinks along the way. The defense has four returning players and the offense has only one, so inexperience is where the Carroll football team is trying to bridge the gap.

That doesn’t mean that there weren’t plenty of promises on the offensive side of the ball to go along with the solid play of the Dragons defense. Repetition and training this summer will be a big key to getting everyone up to speed, Wasson said.

"Defensively, we like where we finished," he said. "We’ve got a little ways to go, but we’re on track.

"Offensively, we got better each day," he said. "We need to work on consistency throughout the summer, and I know they’ll work to get stronger. We have the personnel to be a good unit. [Projected starting quarterback] Kyle Padron had a great spring, showed his ability with a lot of plays, and he’s shown that he’s a good leader."

Where Padron’s receivers will have a chance to learn to gel with their field general is during 7-on-7 competition this summer, which has already started. Carroll will attempt to qualify for a berth to the state tournament July 11-12 at Texas A&M University, with its next opportunity coming when it hosts a qualifying tournament at Carroll Senior High at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Carroll will also compete in the L.D. Bell League that begins June 12 as a way to continue practicing its offensive drills in a competitive environment.

"We want to help our players get a lot of reps and improve their game," Wasson said. "I know they’ll work hard on their own to improve and get better as well."

Having lost 10 players on offense, the Dragons offensive line helped stabilize things this spring. Defensively, defensive ends Brayden Burnett and Jackson Richards have emerged as key leaders, while the depth in the linebacker position and the secondary will also be beneficial, Wasson said.

The Spring Game ended things on a high note, with everyone feeling good about how things finished, Wasson said.

"It was a good springboard going into the summer," he said. "We’ll keep working to get ready for Aug. 11, when fall camp starts."