Newly hired Bradwell Institute head football coach Greg Hill watched his team in action Saturday night as the football team held its inter-squad scrimmage at Olvey Field.
Hill said that overall, the players did well and the scrimmage helped the coaching staff break down certain skill positions. He also said there are two players competing for the quarterback position.
“Duane Johnson and Stephen Felton, both of them are pretty raw right now and pretty much on the same level,” Hill said. “We just want one to emerge as the starter, but it is going to take a little more time and a little more evaluating … we will see what happens over the summer and going into the fall camp to see who will be coming out on top.”
Among the running backs, Luther Echols appears to be healthy after suffering a leg injury early last season. Before being knocked out for the season, Echols was averaging 13 yards per game. Hill confirmed Echols is the likely starter at fullback.
The coach said D’Lo Smith has looked solid throughout the spring at wingback, and Leonard Jackson also has looked strong in the backfield.
“Those guys have emerged as the backs we will use,” Hill said, adding that Terrius Crimiel has just returned from track. “Crimiel has shown us some flashes of great speed and running ability but all those guys will be utilized in the backfield. In the past, what I have done is use a whole group of running backs and that allows us to stay fresh in the game, so even though three may start, all will play.”
Hill said the offensive and defensive lines need some work.
“It looks like we are going to be young up front, and that is both good and bad,” he said. “The bad part about that is they don’t have a lot of playing experience right now. They are still learning, but the good part of that is that we will have those guys for the next few years.”
Hill said that as long as the linemen continue to push and work hard, he knows there will be improvement.
“We are going to coach them hard, and one of my messages to them is that they are going to have to grow up quick,” he said. The coach said the team’s linebackers are the cream of the crop.
“We have some pretty strong linebackers,” Hill said. “We have Isiah Barnes and Jeff Andrews, and those guys play with a lot of intensity and they are out there having fun, and those are the leaders of our football team. I am glad we’ve got those guys. They love contact and that is what you want in your linebackers, so we are fortunate to have guys like that on the team that can get in there and play for us right now and be the leaders that they are.”
Hill said the Tigers will begin their weight-training program the Tuesday after the school year ends. He said he wants them to hit the weights hard to make up for any training lost during the period before he was hired and former coach Adam Carter resigned from the position in January.
The Tigers also plan to attend a football camp in July at Georgia Southern.
“It is a team camp as well as a 7-on-7 passing league, so all our players will be able to get some work in,” Hill said.